I Look To You
by MickeyMack
Summary: A year after Naraku's defeat, Inuyasha is still adjusting to Kagome no longer being in his life. Whether he wanted it to or not, life moved on and now Sango and Miroku have a family on the way. One day a visitor comes begging for help and flips his world upside down. Will blood prove thicker than water? Yaoi. Inucest. Noncon. Mpreg. Dark. Abuse.
1. A Bad Feeling

**Author's Note: Alright I am back with a new Inucest story. This is going to be a longish story so go ahead and follow. This is also my first attempt at Mpreg which will come later. I never thought I would write a Mpreg story, but this has been stuck in my head for awhile and works for this plot I have in my head. Feel free to review your thoughts, suggestions, or concerns. **

**Warning: This fic will be a dark one. Boy's Love. Violence. Noncon. Mpreg. BrotherXBrother. You have been warned. **

Inuyasha's POV:

"Will yah' shut up and sit down already?!" Inuyasha snapped for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.

When the demon slayer simply hobbles by him, he yokes the bundle of firewood out of her arms. "Inuyasha!" The glare she fixes him with is returned ten-fold as he balances all of the materials in one arm to put a supporting hand on the small of her back. He pushes her forward with a little more force than necessary when she reaches back to bat him away. "Inuyasha quit it! I am perfectly capable of walking on my own."

"Then act like it and get a move on."

Once again, he matches her glower with one of his own, but after the brief stare down she sighs and waddles forward with him close at her heels. "At least let me carry some of that."

"No!" The objection comes out more like a bark and startles the nearby villagers. They give the hotheaded duo questioning looks as they stroll past the rice fields.

"And why not?!"

"You. Are. With. Child!" It feels like he has to remind Sango more and more these days that she is heavy with child—more accurately, with children since there are two of them. He would think that her bulging stomach would be enough of a reminder, but apparently not. Kaede has already told them that she should be giving birth any day now, so it infuriates him that she insists on exerting herself unnecessarily. She should be resting and preparing.

"I am pregnant not disabled—" The growls coming from her companion's throat cuts her line of reasoning off and she settles for rolling her eyes in defeat. "Ugh, you are being ridiculous."

'_Who's really being ridiculous here?' _He decides it would probably be best to keep that comment to himself seeing as he already won the standoff. A feat that is becoming harder and harder with the hormonal taijiya. It seems like any wrong word or odd look can set the young woman off now-a-days, not that her temper was the best to begin with. Who knew pregnant women were so difficult? Inuyasha has certainly learned these last nine moons. _'The sooner she has these brats, the better.' _As they near the collection of village shacks, she can no longer hide how much the trek from the forest has affected her. Her bangs are stuck to her forehead from sweat and her breath is coming out in labored pants. Even though the sun is already setting beyond the horizon, her skin is flush with heat and exertion. A scowl puckers his brow and he contemplates whether he should just scoop her up and carry her inside. He knows there will be repercussions for such actions, but the question is how bad can they be?

Before he can make up his mind, Rin appears from the flap of Kaede's home. "Lady Sango, Master Inuyasha you've returned!" Her radiant smile wanes when her big doe eyes take in the woman's haggard appearance. "Lady Sango, are you alright?"

"No." Inuyasha speaks up on her behalf, earning himself another icy glare. "She isn't. Help her inside and make sure she stays put for the rest of the night."

The girl is more than willing to oblige and takes a gentle hold of the pissed lady's arm. She smiles an innocently sweet smile which melts the elder's heart and causes her to sigh in defeat. It is impossible for her to stay angry at the brown-haired girl. "Fine…Has Miroku returned?"

Inuyasha's canine ears flicker toward the retreating girls in time to catch Rin's answer. "No, there has been no word from him or Shippo-kun."

'_Great. I knew those idiots were going to take their sweet time and slack off.' _He turns away and sprints through the village to the forest outskirts. Once there, he performs the daily task of checking the villager traps; finding nothing but a few measly worm youkais which he makes quick work off with a slash of his claws. When he finishes setting them back up, the sky is a dark bluish-purple. Using the stars for light, he starts patrolling the outskirts of Kaede's village. Although it is the monk's turn to perform these mundane tasks, Inuyasha feels a sense of peace in doing it himself. Not only is he more confident in his vigilance, but It is one of the rarer opportunities he has to be alone these days. The villagers count on him as a protector and his gang's needs often occupy most of his time and day. Being on his own also gives him the chance to visit _her_ without falling victim to his comrade's pity. He does not need any of that right now. He just needs…her back.

His feet push off the final tree branch which places him in the open clearing that houses the Bone-Eater's well. His face is carefully blank as he walks over and squats down in front of it. He runs a clawed hand along the sides despite already having every nook, cranny, and scratch mesmerized. Ever since he was revived from the seal Kikyo put on him all those years ago, he has spent so much of his time at this well. No matter how far his journeys take him and how long he is away, he always finds himself back here. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot stop the small sad smile from tugging at the corner of his mouth. He has too many good memories featuring this well as the setting. It is the only thing that connects him to her; the girl who crossed time. And now, ironically, it is the one thing keeping them apart. _'Kagome'._

Why did she have to go? They finally defeated Naraku. Everyone was avenged. Everyone was reunited. He…had finally let go of Kikyo. And just like that, the only other woman he has ever loved, left him too. First his mother, then Kikyo, and now Kagome. Who's next? Is his pack going to be taken away from him too? Well it is going to happen sooner than he would like to think, and it terrifies him. Eventually, he will be alone again. This is exactly why before he met the high schooler and the late priest, he was very cautious of getting close to anyone. Everyone either leaves, dies, or betrays him in the end. And the pain…it is almost unbearable. But even so, he would not trade all his wonderful memories for anything. Meeting Kagome, forming his pack, and facing down the demons of his past was all well worth the pain he feels now. He wants to hold onto all the heartache. Every time he looks into the dark abyss of the well, it is like tearing open a new wound—no it is worse than that. At least he could shake off a wound easily enough. But he fears that if one day he does not feel that hurt, then she will truly become nothing but another regret of his past. And that would be worse than anything.

A strange smell assaults his senses and snaps him out of his musing. His nose crinkles with the stench of an unknown youkai mingled in with Sango and Kaede's familiar scent. The demonic aura is pungent, yet he can also sense the non-threatening weakness. Still he wastes no time in dashing back to the old priest's abode. Sure enough, as he closes in, he spots Sango and the old lady speaking to a tiny individual he does not recognize. From what he can tell in the pale moonlight, the figure is hardly taller than Rin.

"Inuyasha should be—oh." Sango pauses when the male in question springs out of the trees, landing directly next to her. "Here he is."

"What's going on?" Large emerald eyes stare up at him in terrified awe for a split second before the stranger suddenly drops to his knees and presses his forehead to the ground in the deepest bow he has ever seen. "What?"

"I-Inuyasha-sama," The meek little voice comes out muffled due to his face currently becoming acquainted with the ground. "P-Please f-forgive me f-f-for disturbing your l-lordship, b-but there is a good r-reason I-I have encroached on y-your territory."

'_What the hell…Who is this kid?' _He looks over to the women to find them looking just as baffled as he feels.

Receiving no response from the silver-haired hanyou must have put the demon-child on edge, because he shrinks even lower to the ground to make himself as small as possible. His petite frame is trembling violently and Inuyasha's nose twitches with the heavy scent of fear coming off of him. "I-I am so very sorry!"

"For what?" The kid looks up for a brief moment but quickly hides his face away when he spies the confused scowl on his face. "What's wrong with you? What are you doing here?" To his dismay, the boy flinches as if Inuyasha just struck him. "Hey! Calm down, will yah'?!" The abrasive request only causes him to shake even more and whimper in fear.

"I-nu-ya-sha. Cut it OUT!" The wind is knocked out of him when the taijiya elbows him hard in the ribs. "Scaring the poor boy like that! You should be ashamed of yourself." Despite the bulge of her heavy pregnancy, she kneels down to as close to eye level as she can get with the terrified stranger. She places a tender hand on his back, and he flinches and let's out a high-pitched whine. "It is alright. We are not going to hurt you." After a long pause, the boy risks another peak through his short bob-like hair. Sango gives him a warm encouraging smile before slowly grabbing his arm. "Come on, let's go inside. We can figure this all out calmly, ne?"

"…" He says nothing, but after hesitating again he allows her to help him up and lead him inside Kaede's hut.

"Che! What the hell is their problem? I didn't even do anything to the brat!"

The old priest chuckles lightly at his outrage. "Inuyasha ye' often come off a bit too…brash. And that mean ol' mug of yers' is enough to frighten any child and most men."

"You have some nerve to talk about someone else's old mug, baba."

She can only laugh at that. "Give us a few minutes to calm the lad down, then ye' can come inside."

"Hmpt." His scowl deepens when she leaves him standing outside with his arms crossed indignantly. He looks down at Kirara who mewls cutely and brushes up against his leg in sympathy before joining her master inside. _'Where the hell is Miroku and Shippo?' _Night has long since captured the sky and it is unlikely they will be home before morning now. _'I don't like this. They're late and all of a sudden, this demon kid shows up? I didn't feel an evil aura coming from him and Kirara seems at ease, but…I don't like coincidences.' _

After glowering at the sky and tapping his foot for longer than he would like, Sango finally calls out to him. He storms inside to find them all sitting around the fire pit. The boy is sitting close to Sango, nursing a warm drink in both his shaking hands. In the light of the fire, Inuyasha can see him properly for the first time. He truly is a child, with the same build as Kohaku but as small as Rin. His shoulder length hair is indigo colored, and he uses his overly long fringe to hide his round emerald eyes from view. Two tiny demon horns protrude from his temples matching the tiny, soft looking blue scales that span from his temples to the corner of his eyes. The same scales cover his skinny fingers. _'Is he…a dragon youkai?' _The most notable thing about his baby face, is the large red blemish which encompasses all of his right eye and most of his cheek as well. The wrinkled scar stands out against his bronze skin as if his face was charred by fire.

The boy starts to squirm under his scrutinizing stare so Inuyasha averts his scowl to the demon slayer. "So? What's this all about?"

"Well, we did not pry too much considering his—ah, fragile state. But he made it clear that it is very important that he speaks to you directly, Inuyasha. All we managed to learn is that he travelled far and wide for many days in an attempt to find you."

He can tell that much is true just by looking at him. His beige tunic is almost brown and torn in many places from the wear and tear of harsh travel. His sunburned skin is caked in dirt as well and he bears the typical scrapes and bruises of an unexperienced traveler. Or perhaps, from fleeing from dangerous predators. Inuyasha can recall being his age. His mother had just died, and he had to brave the wilderness on his own because no village would accept him. Demons and humans. They both found him disgusting and ge learned all about the cruel reality of surviving on his own the hard way.

His brow furrows in annoyance at where his thoughts have taken him, and he wills those memories away with a quick shake of his head. "Okay. He found me, now what?"

The youkai visibly gulps and Inuyasha folds his arms into his sleeve and leans against the wall nearest to the opening. He is trying to appear as non-threatening as possible and it must be somewhat successful because they boy takes a deep calming breath. "First, I-I want to a-apologize for m-my behavior earlier." There is still a tremor to his timid voice but, this is probably as good as it is going to get so Inuyasha nods for him to continue. "My n-name is Tatsuya. I-I have come a long way to b-beg for your assistance o-on the behalf of Lord Khuzaimah."

"Haah? Who's that?"

"Lord Khuzaimah!" The yelp of surprise grabs everyone's attention and they all look to Kirara. Myoga pops out of the fur on the feline's head making Tatsuya blink in stunned silence. Everyone else is completely used to the old flea's sudden appearances.

"You know of this lord?" Sango asks.

"Yes, but I did not know he was still alive and well. It has been hundreds of years since I've heard that name. He is the nephew of the late Ryukotsusei."

"The dragon demon who was sealed by Inuyasha's father and later defeated by Inuyasha when Naraku reawakened him?"

"The very same."

"Wait." Inuyasha interjects. "I thought Ryukotsusei was more of a spirit than a youkai?"

"It is a bit complicated than that Master Inuyasha. Lord Ryukotsusei was a powerful daiyoukai who was sealed as a spirt by your father. Dragons are rare now and most only exist as spirits or rudimentary demons."

"Okay," The ancient flea's explanation has left him with more questions than answers.  
"So, what does the nephew of Ryukotsusei want from me?"

This time the question is aimed at the dragon whelp who jumps at being addressed so abruptly. "O-Oh y-yes, um Lord Khuzaimah and the rest of our p-pride are holed up in a roost in the mountains. A rogue group of panther demons have been launching attacks against us for a long time now." _'Panther demons again?' _"Our Lord is desperate for assistance in this m-matter and he s-sent me to find you."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Y-You are a powerful Daihanyou; s-son of Inutaisho. The one who defeated N-Naraku-sama. M-My Lord recognizes y-your obvious greatness."

"O-Kay," It takes everything in him not to roll his eyes. Since the defeat of the spider scum, people have been coming from all over to implore him for aid. Miroku has, of course, made a little business of it by lending their various services out for a certain fee. In fact, he and Shippo left in order to exorcise a nearby village. Inuyasha never participates willingly and avoids it as much as he can, especially if it involves travelling away from his pack for too long. "Why not look for Sesshomaru instead? He helped in the defeat of Naraku. And he's the first bastard of that old man. _And _he's dealt with the panther clan many times."

"U-Uh, ah Khuzaimah-sama did not say, my lord. He o-only instructed me to find you no matter what."

"And let's face it Inuyasha," Kaede comments from her cot near the fire. "Yer' older brother isn't the most approachable of people."

"Nor charitable." Sango adds.

"Tch." _'Who the hell do they think I am?' _"Do I look like a monk? Or like someone's servant? Look kid," Surprisingly Tatsuya does not flinch this time but, there is still obvious apprehension in his gems for eyes. "I'm not some mercenary for hire. You guys need to figure this out yourselves or look somewhere else for help."

"NO!" Everyone starts in shock when he throws himself at the hanyou's feet. "P-PLEASE! P-Please Inuyasha-sama! We need the help! Every day I watch as my brothers and sisters are picked off one by one and killed. They even go after the eggs. It won't be long until they get me too. Please, I'm so scared."

Returning his wide gold eyes back to a normal size takes some doing but once he manages it, he frowns and tries to remove his feet from under the boy. "Oi, quit yer' groveling! Aren't you Ryu-youkai supposed to be prideful? Aren't you supposed to be some of the most powerful beings out there? I'm sure this Lord Khuzu—whatever can do something about this on his own—"

"He cannot! Lord Khuzaimah says we need you," To his mortification, the boy starts weeping so hard that he hyperventilates between words. "You are our l-last h-h-hope Inuyasha-sama. I-I can't return without you. I'm as g-good as dead. We all are!" His words dissolve into intelligible sobs and Kaede gets up to sooth him.

"**Inuyasha.**" Sango struggles to her feet and waddles over to the male, grabbing onto his frosty locks and ushering him outside.

"Hey! Watch the hair!"

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?!"

"What do you mean?"

"You have to help that boy!"

"I don't have to do shit! Sango, I'm not some errand boy out to save every sap who…" He trails off into a gulp as she glares daggers at him. The aura around her turns sinister as if the gates of Hell just opened up before him. "Look I…will check it out." It would be a lie to say the boy's pleas did not get to him. He was planning on at least scoping out the situation even without her demands. He is just surprised by the brunette's strong reaction. Although her hatred of demons has diminished since they first met, the demon-slayer still holds a prejudice and is generally suspicious of ones she does not know. Maybe her developing mother-instinct is making her over sympathetic towards the child. Or it could also be that she misses her younger brother, who left awhile ago to train. "I'll go, but I am not leaving you guys until Miroku comes back."

"That's fine. It should give Tatsuya time to rest and get cleaned up." She shows him a brilliant smile and gives him a quick hug before ducking back inside. _'…Sheesh, she needs to hurry and have these babies. These mood swings are dangerous.' _

Inuyasha looks up at the starry sky as a chill wind whips his silver tresses around his stern face.

'_What is this bad feeling…'_


	2. Lord Khuzaimah

**A/N: Hey guys, just a quick thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm really glad you guys are looking forward to this story and I appreciate the welcome back!**

Inuyasha's POV:

"And you do not want to get involved?"

"That's not it. I just have…had a bad feeling. I thought it was too weird that you hadn't come back yet and then suddenly this brat appeared out of nowhere. I thought maybe…well whatever, it's fine now."

The dark-haired monk nods in understanding. He is aware of how hypervigilant his hanyou friend can be and always appreciates when he can be thoughtful rather than brash. "I see. Well like I said, the villagers wanted to thank us for the exorcism not only with money but with a free stay at their inn. Free food, drinks, and…" Inuyasha raises an eyebrow when his voice drops down to a whisper. "A night away from Sango sounded too good to pass up."

"You're hopeless."

"Haha I love my wife but, she's a bit scary right now.

"Hmpt."

"But in all seriousness, if you do not feel comfortable, I can travel there with you. The boy said that their territory is in the mountains beyond Ryukotsusei's valley?"

"Are you an idiot? Sango is going to give birth any day now. She'd kill me if you weren't here for it. You weren't even supposed to leave the first time." _'And I wouldn't purposefully bring you into a fishy situation like this. I have no idea what these dragons are up to.' _"I can handle these panthers on my own. Me and Sesshomaru already took care of the four leaders awhile ago and they were the most problematic. These guys attacking them are most likely just some random coupe."

"Fair enough."

He gives a tired sigh as he secures tessaiga to his waist. _'Still, the sooner I take care of this, the better.' _

"You could always decline his request." He suggests as they exit Kaede's shack. "We made plenty of money on the last job, so we should be fine for a while."

"Nah, I'm sure Sango would give me grief for it."

"Hmm, you're not wrong."

'_Speak of the devil.' _As soon as they walk outside, they find the mystery boy waiting anxiously with Sango and Rin at his side. "Well?" The long-haired woman all but demands.

"Do not worry Sango. Inuyasha has agreed to accompany Tatsuya-kun."

"Excellent!"

"Hmpt."

"T-T-Thank you Inuyasha-sama."

"Cut it out." The kid was getting ready to bow again, but Inuyasha stops him with a sharp shake of his head. "Enough of that. Let's just get this over with." Without bothering to wait, he starts in the direction of the forest. He hears Sango tut and implore the young dragon to report back to her if the hanyou is "mean" to him.

Rin shouts, "Good luck!" and soon after he hears the pitter-patter of the boy running to catch up to him. Like before he can smell and sense the unbridled dread coming from him. The stench only grows stronger the further they walk away from the village and become more isolated. Inuyasha closes his eyes in a long tired sigh and folds his arms into his sleeve. _'This is going to be a long day.' _

….

"Hey kid, how much longer?"

"O-Oh um, n-not too much longer now."

They set out in the morning and now the sky is a deep orange as the sun sets in the distance. They have been travelling all day, the silence only being broken when the dragon whelp needed to give the Daihanyou directions. They trekked through the Valley of Ryukotsusei quite some time ago and now they are nearing a small collection of tall mountains. "The panthers scale these mountains just to attack you guys?"

"N-Not all the time. Mostly they coordinate with the Birds of Prey."

'_Huh?' _When he makes an abrupt turn to face him, the boy staggers back and nearly loses his balance. "You never mentioned the Birds of Prey."

"I-I didn't?" His eyes widen to the point that they look like they are going to roll right out of his head. Inuyasha can feel the sharp spike of fear in him, so he tries to soften his stern expression into something more neutral. "P-Please f-forgive me for my uselessness. Inuyasha-sama I-I, y-you uh I—ugh I'm sorry!"

"Cool it kid. I'm not angry and its not a problem. I haven't changed my mind about helping, alright?"

He still appears very unsure and is hugging himself as if he expects the older male to suddenly attack him. Nonetheless, he nods his head to show he understands.

He has been trying to bite his tongue and ignore it, but he just has to ask, "Why are you so jumpy all the time?"

He falters and looks confused as to why anyone would ask him anything about himself. "I…I've always been this way sir…" _'He is obviously lying but whatever.' _"I am…weary of anyone with g-great power." _'Now that may hold some truth.' _

"Just because I'm strong doesn't mean I'm going to hurt you."

"…"

"In fact, I'm _not _going to hurt you, so stop acting so wound up."

"Y-Yes…sir." Obviously, his words did not ease all his fears nor did Inuyasha expect them to, but at least some of the tension left his shoulders.

"Good. Let's go." It does not take them too long to climb up the tallest mountain. Although physically the whelp does not look like much, it is obvious he is in his element on the rocky high-altitude terrain. He proves to be expertly nimble and scrambles his way up with quick agile jumps. With him leading the way, they manage to near the peak right as the sun sets. They are almost up in the clouds, and if they did go all the way up to the peak they certainly would be. The icy air is thin, and he can feel his lungs working double time to suck it in. He imagines that a regular mortal would have a hard time in these circumstances and would not last long. On the way up, Inuyasha noticed a handful of red, yellow, and green eyes watching them from the darkness of various alcoves. No one came out to meet them. Tatsuya informed him that they are all of what remains of the Nihon no Ryu. Since the attacks began, the youkai are reluctant to leave their roosts, especially now since all their eggs have been taken.

The pair stop climbing once they reach the highest opening, right before the peak of the mountain. As soon as they step foot into the space, Tatsuya drops to his knees, practically smashing his face against the ground—much like the time he first met the hanyou. His minuscule body exudes pure terror. It is much worse than anything he experienced while traveling with him which causes Inuyasha to cast a curious glance his way. Before he can question him, an involuntary chill runs up his spine as a swell of ominous aura encompasses them.

Looking back up to the shadowy opening to the cave, he finds ruby red eyes with black vertical reptilian pupils staring right back at him. The figure steps out of the shadows, revealing a humanoid youkai standing a full head taller than him. In contrast to his vibrant eyes, the waning sunlight reveals ivory skin dotted with dark green—almost black scales on his sharp cheekbones. His bone-straight midnight green hair is slicked back from his elegant features and cascades down past his waist. Unlike Tatsuya, his impressive ivory dragon horns start at his temples and grow thickly until they curve behind his head. If he used those to attack, his enemy would be severely wounded. The man notices him staring and his face suddenly breaks into a wide grin revealing way too many teeth. That combined with his relatively human appearance is unsettling in a sinister way. Inuyasha sizes him up as he approaches the cliff's edge where they are standing.

The man fits the bill of a typical Daiyoukai. He wears the kimono of a noble which in his case is black with red and golds accents on the sleeves and a star crest on the front. His armor and obi also bear the tell-tale signs of the elite. Inuyasha's focus is primarily drawn to the bulky leather scabbard secured to his hip. "Assuming Tatsuya was successful, you must be Inuyasha-san?"

"Yeah…Khuzaimah, right?"

His smile fades for a moment, perhaps not used to being addressed so informally. "Yes, I am Lord Khuzaimah and you have my eternal gratitude for your assistance in this matter." He walks up to the shorter male and gives his shoulder a welcoming clasp. A gesture Inuyasha callously shrugs off.

"Don't thank me. I haven't done anything yet. I want to know the full scope of the situation. This brat made it seem like you guys are constantly in danger, but I sensed no threats on our way up here. And first he told me it was panthers, then he lets loose that the Birds of Prey are in this too. I want to know exactly what's going on before I commit to helping you."

"I see." His gaze turns stone cold as he considers the child who has not uttered a word since they arrived. "I should have known. His incompetence knows no bounds. It is perfectly reasonable for you to have your uncertainties. I will explain everything properly, but first—Tatsuya!" Up until now the demon's voice was velvety smooth and soft, like a snake. But when he calls the boy, it comes out in a raspy bark.

The boy does not look up in the slightest and remains in his fetal-like bow. "H-How m-m-may I s-serve you, Heika?"

"I will deal with you later. Now make yourself scarce."

"Y-Yes Master! Thank you, M-Master!"

Inuyasha watches as he springs up, runs to the edge, and quite literally throws himself off the side without any hesitation. "Eh? He can fly?"

"No, but he could learn if he were not so inept. For now, he can glide well enough."

"Mm."

"Now onto more pressing matters. Inuyasha-san, how much has he relayed to you already?"

"He told me some youkais from the panther tribe have been waging attacks against you and your pride. According to him, it is getting out of hand and your people are being picked off one by one. He mentioned the Birds of Prey on the way here, so I do not know how they play into this. I sensed nothing coming up here. What kind of help do you need from me?"

"Hm, to put it simply, we have been overwhelmed. Of my pride, I am the only substantial fighter. Normally, this would not be a problem, but the combined forces of the birds and panthers have proved to be a real nuisance."

"Since when did the panthers join forces with the birds? I thought they were at odds with each other as well."

"They didn't and they are. The birds have their own roosts in some nearby mountains. While we have never particularly gotten along, they know they cannot seriously challenge the likes of me. However, with the panthers attacking from the bottom of the mountain—"

"They use that opportunity to pick off the defenseless people left up top."

"Exactly." Inuyasha watches him carefully as he walks around him to stand at the cliff's edge. He looks out into the purple-blue sky with his arms behind his back. He looks deep in thought and it takes him a minute to start talking again. "Us dragons…we are supposed to be strong and prideful, something I take great honor in upholding, nevertheless…too many have suffered because of my hubris. I have watched mothers mourn the loss of their eggs and so many young fledglings carried off, kicking and screaming. My clan was already small to begin with, mostly women and children and now there is hardly anyone left. I am…ashamed to admit that it has taken the near total decimation of my clan to seek aid. As much as it pains me to ask, Inuyasha-san…" Crimson meets gold when he turns around to face him. "Would you honor this lord by lending your assistance?"

"…Fine…"

….

He did not sleep a wink last night, despite the countless offers from his gracious host to set him up in an empty cavern next to his own. Even if he wanted to, there is no way the Daihanyou could have slept in an unfamiliar place, filled with strangers, and with an imminent threat on the horizon. Khuzaimah explained that it is very likely the panthers and birds will attack at the first light of dawn. Naturally, Inuyasha spent the whole night standing and waiting at the cliff's edge. Throughout the eerily quiet night, he saw no signs of the other ryu-youkai or the child he travelled with, but he could sense them moving furtively from cave to cave. The dragon lord himself remained deep in his own grotto for a while before flying up to the peak to keep proper watch. Inuyasha can recall when the ryu sprouted those majestic black scaled wings from his back. He was momentarily stunned. His full wing span is nearly double the hanyou's height and when he pushed off the earth, the power behind those large wings nearly knocked him over.

But that was hours ago. Right now, he is watching the sky slowly morph from blue to orange as the sun begins its' morning rise. Whenever he gets a rare moment to himself now-a-days, his mind wonders to places he would rather not visit. And this time is no different. For the first time in his life, he belongs. He is a part of a community. Miroku, Shippo, Sango, Kaede, Rin, Kohaku, Kirara, and all the villagers; he considers them his family. It is all he has ever wanted. The reason he suffered as a child and the reason he wanted the shikon no tama is because…he simply wanted to belong. And now he does but…now he is missing what became the most important piece of his life; Kagome.

If she never vanished, then it is very likely she would be standing here next to him. They would have probably argued because he would have insisted, she stayed in the village for her own safety. Hell, he may have even left her behind but somehow, she would have made her way to his side. Maybe she would have caught a ride on Shippo or Kirara and tracked him down. She would have ridden her metal bike contraption all the way up here if she had to. _'Heh. Stupid stubborn girl.' _After all they have been through, it really does feel strange not to have her by his side. Even for something trivial like this. _'I wonder how she's doing…Is she safe?' _He hopes the only thing she has to worry about conquering without him is those 'exam' things. _'That and…figuring out how to come back…Would she choose us—me over the family in her time?' _

Before he can dwell on the possibilities of that question, a gust of wind spirals around him followed by a soft but solid thud. The dragon lord joins him at the ridge and offers a pleasant nod before jumping straight to business. "Those filthy cats are making their way up the base of this mountain as we speak. I flew around the perimeter of my territory and spotted the birds. They should be here soon enough as well."

"What's the plan of attack then?"

"I want you to intercept those vile fools before they climb high enough to attack the lower nests. I am going to engage the birds in sky battle, so they do not pick off anymore of us. With our combined efforts, no one should be left vulnerable. I take it you are capable of handling the panthers on your own?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrow into annoyed slits and he turns his back to him with a scoff. "Don't be stupid." His hand flies to tessaiga's hilt as he jumps off the ridge. The rusty old sword transforms into his father's legendary fang as he hops from ledge to ledge. His clawed feet dig into the side of the rocky mountain as he skates to the bottom. His nose wrinkles with the strong smell of feline and soon after he spots the small band scaling up like Khuzaimah stated. _'Looks to be seven or eight of them with twelve actual panthers. I knew it had to be a solo acting coupe and nothing more.' _The entire group stops in their tracks when Inuyasha comes plummeting down from above and lands in front of them. "Sorry to tell yah', but your climb ends here."

A cat-like woman with fiery red hair breaks away from the pack with fangs and claws bared, twin tails twitching in agitation behind her. "What does a half-breed dog want with us?!"

"Nothing, If you know what's good for yah'. Leave now and you'll be saving yourselves a whole lot of grief."

Her menacing hiss would have been intimidating to any lesser enemy, but in this case he can only grin in anticipation. It has been sometime since he's seen any action. The little threats that plague the village are not even enough for him to break a sweat. The woman, presumably the leader, sends her animal companions first which he all but obliterates with practiced tenkotsu swings. The demons look stunned and surround him with clear apprehension. They try to coordinate tactical moves relying on nimbleness to overwhelm him, but as ungraceful as the hanyou is he proves to be just as agile as any feline. He has no intention of killing any of them, so he bides his time by dodging and mostly striking with the back of his sword. Within minutes four of the eight panthers are too injured to fight. The leader lets out a shrill scream of frustration when the others turn tail back towards the forest, dragging their injured brethren with them. "You insolent little half-breed! You know not what you do!" She is all spit and fire, but he can see past the bravado. The resolve in her eyes has died. She has lost the will and the fight and they both know it.

Inuyasha relaxes his stance and sheathes his sword as she continues to hiss and scream profanities. He does not feel the least bit in danger. "All I know is yer' done attacking these folks. They have endeared enough because of you. Get out of here and leave these ryu alone."

"Leave _them _alone!? I didn't ask for any of this! I didn't want to be used! I will never forgive that bastard for what he did to me! You are either a naïve fool or just as guilty and vile as he is."

'_Huh?' _"What do you mean?"

"No, I'll let you learn the hard way! You'll meet your end messing with the likes of Khuzaimah."

"And I'll bring you yours if you keep testing me."

"Tch!" Her orange eyes burn with hatred, but she turns away and flees into the forest outskirts with the rest of her band. He waits for a few more beats to make sure she is gone before jumping his way back up to Khuzaimah's lair. When he returns to the ledge, he finds the area littered with the torn carcasses of multiple Birds of Prey. There are dozens of them and almost on cue, one more falls out of the clouds to join the makeshift graveyard. This one looks particularly large and fearsome. _'Must be the head of the clan. Looks exactly like the one Koga's pack had to take out.' _He tilts his head up in time to see Khuzaimah soaring towards the earth like an arrow. His speed slows at the very last second and he lands gracefully, retracting his wings into his back. Not a single jade colored hair looks out of place. There is no blood on him despite how mutilated the bodies are and it looks like the sword at his waist was completely untouched. His face is a mask of cold indifference until his blood-red gaze settles on him. He is all smiles as he approaches him. "Inuyasha-san. I take it you had no issues taking care of those pests?"

"Of course not."

"I assumed as much. As annoying as they were, they were nothing but a bunch of weaklings."

"Were? They ain't dead."

"Oh?" He sounds slightly surprised. "Did they escape?"

"No. I let them go. After a defeat like that, you don't have to worry about them coming back."

"I see…interesting. Cannot say that is how I would have chosen to handle things, but nevertheless it has been handled."

"Hmpt." _'Even with being the only fighter in his clan, it looks like he could have easily taken care of both enemies on his own…Well he did say he was worried about one attacking the defenseless while he's engaged with the other.' _

"Now," Inuyasha watches as he nears him with a warm little smile. "How can I thank you for your generous service."

"I don't need any thanks. If we're done here, I'm heading back to—"

"Please wait," His body tenses defensively when he closes what little space was between them to place a hand on his shoulder. "There must be something I can do to express my gratitude."

"I don't need anything from you."

The grip on his shoulder tightens into a friendly squeeze, causing him to frown and shake him off completely. Instead of being offended, his smile widens. "My honor demands I repay your kindness. At the very least allow me to have a great feast prepared for you. Would you allow this humble lord the pleasure of doing that much?"

"…" '_How annoying. Honor this and pride that. Oh, look how elite I am. Nobles are all the same. Demon or mortal. Makes me sick. But I am pretty hungry.' _"Che. Fine."

"Excellent." _'That smile is so creepy.' _

"But I'm leaving before sun down." He adds as they move into the dairyu's spacious den. He wants to be back in Kaede's village as soon as possible.

"Of course."

…..

An hour later, he is sitting comfortably in front of a spread of foreign delicacies. Fancy foods are far beyond his rudimentary palate. He idly wonders when and how Khuzaimah was able to accumulate all of this when he's been holed up in these mountains. Not only that but the alcove is decorated with all kinds of expensive looking silks, cushions, and trinkets. All of it looks typical of what he would expect from a human lord's residence which raises even more questions. His attention snaps to Tatsuya who scurries by to fill their cups while taking care to avoid making eye contact with either men. He is the one who set up the huge banquet in the first place and it looks like he is walking on eggshells. As soon as everything is perfectly in order, he steps off to the right side of his lord and crouches down into his infamously low bow.

"Please Inuyasha, do not wait on my account. And If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to call on Tatsuya. He may not be good for much, but at the very least he can obey simple commands."

"Mmm." Although he is not very comfortable, he wastes no time in shoveling down dish after dish. As pretentious as this setting is, he is not going to turn up his nose to semi-decent food.

"Tell me Inuyasha; where exactly do you reside?"

"Why do you want to know?" He fires back, voice full of suspicion.

"Oh, I am only asking because I sent Tatsuya to find you days ago and it took him quite some time to complete that uncomplicated task."

"Mm?" The lord meets his questioning look with a placating smirk.

"I am trying to decide on an appropriate punishment for his incompetence."

He looks to the boy in question to find him quaking in absolute terror. Although he cannot see his scarred face, he knows those expressive jade eyes are probably wide with dread. "I'm a little over half a day away," He answers around a mouthful of food. "And I don't like to be bothered. Me and my pack like to keep to ourselves, so it is no wonder he had a hard time. Unless you already know me, I'm not easily found and that isn't a coincidence. Don't punish him over something so stupid."

"Hm." He considers the whelp with a cool stare before giving a nonchalant shrug. "…Leave us boy." The kid nearly trips over himself in his hurry to remove himself from the presence of such intimidating youkai. Inuyasha watches him run out into the night and throw himself off the mountain face. _'There is something odd about that brat…and the way Khuzaimah treats him.' _"Try the sake Inuyasha-san. It has been aged to perfection."

His golden eyes regard the small saucer the ryu tries to hand him. The smell of it is strong enough to wrinkle his nose and make his eyes water. He ignores it completely in favor for the jug a water which he chugs down before letting out a loud belch. "Nah, I don't drink."

If the noble is disgusted, he does a superb job of hiding it. "Shame. This sake is absolutely exquisite."

"Yeah well, I have to get going any…way…" _'What the hell?' _All at once, the room starts spinning violently. A sharp pain stabs at his head and his hand tangles in his hair as he clutches at it. He tries to use tessaiga's sheath as leverage to stand, but he cannot muster any strength in his legs and ends up collapsing on his knees. His arms and legs feel weighed down by lead and are starting to go numb. He places a hand over his chest in an effort to still his frantic heart. He can feel and hear it hammering against his ribs. His breath is coming out in short pants and it feels like someone is sitting on top of his chest. He is suffocating.

"Inuyasha-san? Inuyasha-san, are you alright?" Khuzaimah's voice sounds like it is coming from somewhere else. Somewhere far away. Darkness creeps to the edge of his vision as the room continues to blur and spin. _'What...what's…why…'_ He can no longer hold himself up and his body hits the ground with a hard thump. He manages to turn his face and spots the booted feet near him. Looking up he finds the blurry image of Khuzaimah leering down at him. _'Is he…smiling?'_

"Don't worry you half-breed bitch. I will take _excellent _care of you from now on."

**A/N: Once again thanks for the warm welcome and sorry for the cliffhanger haha. Leave a review on your thoughts and feelings. See you in the next chapter and thanks for reading. **


	3. Mine Now

**Warning: Violence and Noncon ahead. **

Inuyasha's POV:

'_Ugh kuso…my head.' _It takes him a long time of trying to pry his eyes open. When he finally manages to, it does not make much of a difference. He is in complete darkness. He tries to make a move, but he quickly realizes his wrist is bound behind his back and his ankles are tied together. _'What the hell?' _He rolls onto his side, but instantly freezes as his head throbs in retaliation to the sudden movement. "Ugh!" It is so cold he can see his breath in the air. _'I must still be high up in the mountains, but what the hell happened?' _He cannot pick up the scent of anything and trying to remember only makes his headache worse. Still, he does his best to push through the painful haze. _'I know we took care of the attacks…and…that Khuzaimah…he wanted me to stay to eat and…we were eating—no! I was the only one eating. Then I started feeling sick…shit. "_Did that bastard poison me?"

As soon as the question leaves his mouth, he hears the scrape of rock sliding against rock. He looks to it and sees a massive boulder being shifted from the mouth of the cave. A looming dark figure stands at the entrance before stepping out of the moonlight. _'Khuzaimah!' _"Who do you think you are calling a bastard? Pretty hypocritical of you, hanyou."

"Khuzaimah!" A low growl reverberates off the walls as the dragon lord pads closers. His red eyes glow in the pitch darkness as he takes in the daihanyou's vulnerable position. An action that causes him to bear his fangs in a warning snarl, "What the hell do yah' think you're doing teme?!"

Rather than provide an answer, he stalks around him in a slow deliberate circle. Those unnatural eyes scrutinize every inch of his being much like an apex predator sizing up his prey. Inuyasha's golden glare stays lasered focus on him as his inner youkai rages at such threatening actions. He knows he must stay level-headed. He is not in the most advantageous position right now. _'Best thing now is to get this guy talking.' _He opens his mouth to fire off more questions but closes it when the long-haired male stops pacing to look down his nose at him. "Yes, a fine specimen all things considered."

"What?"

"Still leaves much to be desired. It is too bad about the mortal blood."

"Wh—"

"But as unparalleled as I am, it has been some time since I have had a decent challenge. Could it truly be? Am _I _excited?"

"Hey! You're really starting to piss me off with your nonsense rambling! Tell me what's going on! And untie me NOW!"

"…" The mocking smile instantly drops from his scaly face, leaving an expression so uncannily cold and empty the chilliness around them pales in comparison.

"Are you fucking deaf?!"

"Hrm, yes, that mouth is going to be a real source of pain and agony for you."

"Tch! Let me go and we will see exactly who's gonna' be in agony!"

"Heh." Inuyasha cannot make up his mind to which is worse; the disturbing smile or the stoic superiority. Either way, his wrist is itching to draw tessaiga which he immediately noticed is no longer attached to his hip. The bindings around his hands and feet must be cursed or enchanted in some way because he has been clawing at them since he regained consciousness to no avail. "On second thought, there is something to be said about training someone so low-bred and uncultured. I suppose it makes it more fun to break their will."

"Feh. You ain't the first to try."

"No." For a split second, his eyes glow luminescent. He stares deep into his golden eyes as if trying to invade the recesses of his soul. Inuyasha can, once again, feel his youkai riling up in outrage. "But I shall be the last." Whatever retort he was getting ready to spit back literally catches in his throat when Khuzaimah suddenly reaches down and grabs him around the neck.

"Ngh! Let…Go…!" With his hands constrained behind his back and ankles tied together, all he can do is thrash against the ground as his windpipe is crushed. Attempting to strain his neck away only prompts him to sink his claws into his tan skin, drawing blood that flows down to stain his haori. The pain is not unbearable, but the lack of oxygen is making him twist and turn more frantically in an attempt to break free. Khuzaimah applies even more pressure behind his death grip and it truly feels as though his windpipe is going to cave in. Inuyasha can see the way he is grinning at him, his eyes narrowed in psychotic glee but his vision goes fuzzy as his eyes roll back. The lack of oxygen reaching his brain saps all the energy from him and his body goes slack. Only then, does the dragon release his hold around his neck. His breath comes out in desperate pants as the colorful dots slowly fade from his sight.

"Now," Somehow the serpentine timbre to his voice manages to breakthrough the ringing in his ears. "Rules of etiquette demands that a lowly creature should not speak in the presence of a great lord, unless dictated otherwise. I think you should bear this in mind less I rip your insolent tongue from your very throat. Do we understand each other?" They both know he cannot respond at the moment so, he takes his wild gasping as confirmation even though he is aware the hanyou would likely curse him if he could. "Good. That being said, there are a few things I am willing to tell you. Gracious of me, I know. Those bindings are not normal. They will slowly drain your demonic energy over time until you are so weak you are on the brink of death. If left on at that point, it will continue to sap away at your strength until you are dead."

'_I knew it. There is some kind of curse or something on these ropes…'_

"Do not fret. I will remove them before your demise. I do like my playthings to have a little fire in them." Khuzaimah straightens up and starts walking slow circles around him again. "Although," He continues, talking more to himself now. "They have never been used on a mere hanyou…hm, you could die before we have the opportunity to have any real fun…No matter, you are the wretched offspring of the _great _Inutaisho." There is nothing but facetious scorn in his tone and he hisses at the mention of the late Lord of the West. "If you cannot survive something like this then you are not worthy of my recognition in the first place."

"I don't know what game yer' playing at," He spits, finally finding his voice again. "But, yer' going to regret it."

If he heard him at all, he shows no indication and slowly moves back to the entrance of the cavern. "I suppose we shall see in a few days. Do try and hang in there half-breed. I am looking forward to playing with you." And with that cryptic message hanging in the air he steps out and pushes the boulder back in place, thrusting him into total darkness again.

'_Shit, this isn't good.' _The more he struggles, the more his energy is sapped from his body. Even knowing this, the brash side of him cannot help but try anyway. He keeps it up for hours; clawing, wiggling, flexing—but nothing works. At one point, in a rush of adrenaline, he managed to stand and tried slamming his body against different parts of the cave walls, hoping one may give in. When he finally gives up, his body is aching and his silver locks are plastered to his red face from sweat. His muscles are aching so badly, he feels his whole body shake in exhaustion. For a lack of better words, it feels as if someone just handed his ass to him or perhaps like Kagome just "sat" him into oblivion. He manages to lie on his back and looking up he can see the first rays of dawn shinning through the cracks in the rock ceiling. The little bits of sunshine reflect off his honeyed eyes as he stares at nothing in particular. Although his body is tired, his mind is in hyperdrive, trying desperately to come up with a solution. _'What can I do? Shit…at this rate I may really die before I can escape…It's possible that Miroku and Sango could find me. They should know my general location. At least they know we were heading to the mountains pass Ryukotsusei's Valley. But that could be putting them in danger, especially Sango. I don't know what this Khuzaimah is capable of but just from his battle with the birds, he appears formidable enough. Sango should be giving birth any day now, so it would be best for both of them to stay put. They better. I can handle this bastard on my own. I just have to wait…'_

….

Drained.

That is the only description that can accurately describe his current state. The minutes have turned into hours, and the hours into days. His worn-out mind lost track of time after the third day and it certainly feels like it has been an eternity. He has never felt so feeble in his life; he can hardly lift his head anymore. Even breathing is taking a very deliberate effort. His wrists are rubbed raw and numb from where the ropes are cutting into them. His tongue feels like sandpaper and his lips are cracked from thirst. The hunger pains are the worse. With each new wave, he can feel his stomach clenching in protest. He has not felt such hunger since he was a child on his own. When he tries to focus on something besides the pain, his mind brings up the awful memories which in a way are much worse than anything he could feel physically. Usually his partial demon body can withstand much longer periods without food and water, but the energy drain is seriously taking its' toll. It sincerely feels like his life being sapped from him. He feels more vulnerable than on the nights of the new moon. At least then he has the strength and mobility of a mortal. If he faces Khuzaimah like this, then he is in a world of trouble. If only he could retrieve tessaiga. When he first woke up in his prison, he could sense his trusty sword's heartbeat but now his senses are so dull he can hardly detect anything at all; no smells, no sounds, no movements. He is utterly at the mercy of his unfamiliar environment. A thought which brings no comfort considering that his captor appears to have sinister motives. If only he could—_'What was that?' _

His ears swivel in every direction in a frantic attempt to locate the noise in the otherwise desolate alcove. Dust and dirt fall on his pale face, causing him to look up in time to see a rock in the ceiling being pushed aside. The sudden burst of light causes him to flinch and renders him blind for a moment, but in the next second a shadow moves in to block the abrasive light. Looking up again, he finds sparkling emerald eyes staring back at him. The two watch at each for several long seconds before the wide-eyed child breaks the stillness with a shaky whisper, "I-Inuyasha-sama? A-Are you okay?"

"…" As silly and ridiculous the question was, Inuyasha would have at least made a snide remark if he could but his throat is so parched, he doubts anything would come out. The boy watches him for a while longer before glancing around nervously. He positions himself in the hole that is barely large enough for his petite body and drops to the ground with a hard thump. His knees buckle from the impact of the several foot drop, but he quickly scrambles to the hanyou's side. Inuyasha watches him pull a canteen from his satchel and pour water in the top before offering it to the weakened male. His eyes widen in elation, but he stops himself just short of allowing the cup to press against his lips. _'Am I an idiot? I can't trust this kid. He is the one who led me here. He's most likely in on this.' _

Tatsuya tils his head in confusion, causing his cobalt hair to shift and reveal the disfigured part of his face. "I-Is there s-something wrong, Inuyasha-sama? Are you n-not thirsty?" His gold eyes narrow in the face of his pitiable frown, but he cannot help but glance back at the cup wantonly. It takes all his self-control to look away and jerk his chin towards the dragon-boy. It takes the child a beat to catch the other's meaning. "Y-You want me to drink first?" After receiving another sharp nod, he brings the cup to his mouth and takes a deep swallow. Tatsuya waits for a quiet few minutes before trying again by placing his small hand behind the other's head and bringing the cup to his chapped lips. This time there is no hesitation as he gulps down the chilled water. In his haste, some of it spills down his front but he pays it no mind. Tatsuya refills the chalice four more times before the flask is empty.

"Aaaah, hah, hah, hah." He also completely forgot to pause long enough to breathe.

"I-I have some bread as well I-If you'd like?" He pulls an old load out of his bag before ripping pieces off to feed the starving captive. The bread is hard and stale, but he devours it with gusto. "S-Sorry it isn't much, but it is all L-Lord Khuzaimah allots me."

After finishing off every last bite, he opens his mouth to speak for the first time in days. "What are you doing here brat?"

His voice came out in a strained rasp, but it is still enough to strike fear in the boy. He scoots back and starts to tremble uncontrollably. "I-I-I t-thought—I, you, I-I thought you'd w-want s-something to—"

"Calm down!"

"I-I…" He stares at him as if he just asked the impossible. "G-Gomenasai."

"I mean it. Cut it out already and use your head. Do you really think I could do anything to you in this condition?"

"…" He does not answer, but the way his weary eyes rove over the hanyou's weakened body shows he understands.

"How long have I been here?"

"Ano, I think…s-seven or eight moons?" _'Shit, that long?' _

"Where is that bastard Khuzaimah?!"

He looks mortified at his choice of words, but answers nonetheless, "M-Master said h-he had business elsewhere and will return later tonight."

"Good, now undo these damn things."

"I…" The unbridled fear is apparent on his face and he looks like he is dreading his next few words. "Inuyasha-sama I…I c-cannot."

"Tch. So, you are a part of this after all? You led me into his little trap knowing this would happen. To think I fell for the innocent kid act. I should know better than that."

"No!" His whisper of a voice comes out in a surprisingly loud squeak. "You are misunderstanding the situation Inuyasha-sama. I-I truly did not know! I only do Master Khuzaimah's bidding, I serve no other purpose in life. I-I am not allowed to question my Lord, nor does he reveal his desires. I-I, if I had known, I…"

"…" And just like that his pleas end abruptly. Inuyasha matches his guilty expression with a blank stare. They both know he cannot finish that sentence without lying. Even if the dragon boy knew of his master's plans, he would have done nothing to stop them and would have dutifully carried out his orders. Like he said, he lives to serve the Dairyu. In the short time that Inuyasha has spent with him he already noticed how terrified the kid is of him. Tatsuya may have a general fear of everyone, but he revers Khuzaimah like one would a kami. Something that he is sure the man demands and expects.

"I-I am…sorry." He whispers after realizing Inuyasha is not going to break the silence.

"Does it look like sorry is going to help me?" Tatsuya's face falls and he hangs his head in guilt, so the older sighs, "Look just get out of here already." _'I cannot be tricked again. This brat is not to be trusted.' _

"Y-Yes sir." He keeps his head down as he gathers his things. He jumps up toward the hole and almost falls short and has to sink his claws into the rocky opening to pull himself through. After clambering through, he spares one more guilty look at him before moving the rock back in place.

Once again, he is thrust into a bleak and eerie stillness. It is so unnerving and unnatural that he wonders if there is some kind of barrier around the place. Regardless of his complicated feelings towards the kid, the food and water did give him some much-needed strength. But it is not nearly enough. He is still trapped and no closer to escaping than before. _'There's no way that kid is going to help me get out. He's scared shitless.' _Right now he knows his only hope is Miroku and Sango, but he really does not want to get them involved. If Miroku and Kirara come close enough they should be able to sense his exact location _unless _there is a barrier. It has been seven or eight days so it is possible that they simply cannot find him. _'I'm running out of options here. I hate to pull them into danger but, I'm counting on you guys…' _

….

The next few hours drag on uneventfully and his measly meal did little to aid his escape efforts. The curse is doing a perfect job of taking away the energy from that as well. He feels more alert than before, but just as defenseless.

The sound of crumbling earth shatters his thoughts and he looks to the opening to see the boulder being pushed to the side. The flood of moon and starlight brightens up the place enough for him to finally see his surroundings again. The only thing casting a shadow is the tall figure watching him from the entryway. He can only see his glowing red eyes until he takes slow dramatic steps towards the prolonged hanyou. His shit-eating grin widens when Inuyasha starts to growl on instinct. "Well, well look at this. The half-breed bitch managed to stay alive."

'_He's gonna' get enough of calling me a bitch!' _"Khuzaimah! Untie me now and face me properly!"

His eyes harden, but he manages to keep his sneer in place and the mockery in his voice. "Face you? My dear, why would I ever do that when you are so far beneath me?" To emphasize his point, he looks down his nose at him and kicks him onto his stomach before placing his booted foot on top his head.

"Kuso!" Trying to lift his head in his current state proves impossible, especially when his foot presses down harder so he settles for insults instead. "You can spin it however you want, but the truth is yer' a fucking coward! Only weaklings' resort to tricks like this!"

"…"

"What? Don't like hearing the truth? Where's that pride and honor you daiyoukai are so hung up on?! Even right now, if you give me back tessaiga, I'd make short work of a bastard like—!" A swift kick to the face immediately silences him as blood fills his mouth in pools. He spits and in the crimson fluid he can see two of his dislodged teeth.

"Let us come to an understanding, hm? You will no longer address me so insolently. A hanyou mutt knows nothing of pride and honor. Just look at the way your father perished; giving his life for a ningen and her hybrid bastard. It would be laughable if it were not so disgusting."

"This is about my old man and Ryukotsusei, isn't it? This your demented way of getting revenge?"

"Do not ever question me again." His tone turns icy, but his eyes burn with hatred. And do not take my uncle's name in vain. I will say, however, that my actions have nothing to do with him or my uncle."

"Then what the hell…" His question hangs in the air as the demon lord shrugs his haori down to his waist. The dark green scales that color his face and hands also trail down the sides of his stomach. Inuyasha's confused frown quickly twists into a scowl when he uses his foot to push him onto his back and straddle his waist. "Get the hell off of me!"

"It is going to be a joy to tame you Inuyasha."

"What the hell are you saying?" Instead of responding, the lord cups the side of his face with a clawed hand, stroking his jaw line with his thumb. Inuyasha's natural reaction is to jerk away from the unsolicited touch, so he tightens his grip on his jaw to keep him in place. "Get off—mph!" He purses his lips when his wondering thumb runs across them to wipe the blood from the corner of his bruised mouth. He was tense before, but when he uses his free hand to slip into his robe of the fire rat he struggles to get out of his grip. His cold ivory hand caresses his chest in way that sends a revolted shiver through his body. "Seriously, stop touching me!"

"Sensitive, are we?" His dark low chuckle makes the hair on the back of his neck stand. He removes the hand from his face to slash through the hanyou's top, slicing through much of the skin on his chest and stomach as well.

Inuyasha growls low in his chest as the bastard traces the fresh wound with long graceful fingers, staining his alabaster skin red. He licks at it with his abnormally long dragon tongue and takes a deep breath as if savoring the smell and flavor. He kneels over him suddenly and grabs at the waistband of his hakama. Inuyasha's eyes widen when he yanks them down in one fluid motion. "What the fuck are—mmph?!" Khuzaimah clamps his hand over his mouth is a painful smack, effectively shutting him up.

"No more questions. No more talk. I do not expect an uncultured swine like you to learn obedience and deference overnight, but the only noise I will allow from these impudent lips are screams of agony or cries of mercy." Of course, such a declaration only makes him struggle more, so he keeps his hand firmly in place to muffle his threats. The other hand continues its' unwarranted exploration of his mostly nude body. The feel of his scaly touch feels odd and abrasive against his tan skin and makes him squirm in disgust. _'Just what is he playing at? Shit, I'm so weak. I can't do anything right now. He isn't even reacting to me trying to bite through his damn hand.' _"Ugh!" His face slams into the ground as the dragon abruptly flips him over onto his stomach. The rustling sound of clothing prompts him to look back, but the sudden pressure on the back of his head keeps his face firmly planted into the dirt. When he proceeds to grab and slide down his fundoshi he renews his efforts to wriggle free. Khuzaimah disregards his feeble attempts to knock him off knowing that the spell has done its' job in rendering the hanyou useless. He is no better than a human—a dying human at that. Inuyasha's face burns with outrage and embarrassment when he succeeds in pulling the underwear away. His body goes rigid as his hands cup and squeeze his toned backside. _'I'm going to fucking kill him!' _"Is that fear I smell, mutt?"

He eases up on the back of his head just enough for him to lift his face and snarl a retort. "No, it's murderous intent."

"Heh. Even at your age, could it be you have never gone into heat?"

"What does that have to do with anything?! Get your filthy hands off of me!"

"I only ask out of curiosity. It will certainly make things more painful for you."

"Stop fooling around and fight me honorably, you fucking coward—what are you doing?!" Instead of his cold hands, he feels something warm and hard rub across his bottom. He glances over his shoulder and the color instantly drains from his face. The daiyoukai is naked from the waist down and he can see his erection bobbing over his bottom. His sex is human in appearance but much too large to belong to any human male. Their eyes meet and the corner of his mouth curves upward as he rubs himself against his toned cheeks.

"You know, I was going to show some modicum of mercy, but you do not deserve it. Nevertheless, do not worry. I hear after awhile the blood dulls the pain. I would not really know though. You'll have to take the others' word for it."

"You! What do you think—?!" The question sticks in his throat with a gasp when he lunges into the valley between his pert bottom. "Cut it out, you sick bastard!" Khuzaimah laughs at this show of bravado since he can see how uneasy the half-demon is. His canine ears are flat against his skull and the anxiety is radiating off of him in abundance. His body is trembling slightly but he is trying to mask it by growling and writhing. Khuzaimah brings an end to this by using his muscled body to trap him fully between himself and the ground. His lips graze the furry appendage now in his face, causing it to flicker in agitation. Inuyasha arches against the ground in a vain attempt to muster the strength to push him off, but his body jolts in shock when he feels his cock prod at his opening. "Get! OFF! I'm gonna' tear you limb from limb!"

"How long until you break, I wonder?" Khuzaimah hisses low in his ear then thrusts his hips forward. The sharp motion belies his tenseness and buries him deep inside the unsuspecting hanyou.

Bright, white stars cloud his vision as the intense pain takes his breath away and he nearly loses consciousness. As he penetrated him, the dragon also chomped down on his ear, biting through it and compounding his agony. His body has no time to adjust before he pulls back and slams back into his body again. He can feel himself stretching and tearing, trying to accommodate the intrusion. "AAH! YAMERO!"

His screams only spur him on and he picks up the pace, pounding him into the ground with fervor. "That's right scream you half-breed bitch, I want to hear you." His claws dig into his frosty locks and he yanks his head back to listen to his strangled gasps.

With his hands still trapped between them he claws at his stomach, but it is to no avail. He cannot even put enough force behind it to break his scale-hardened skin. "Ngh—s-stop this, ugh fuck." He feels something wet between his legs which adds to the irony scent of his blood in the air. Despite what the daiyoukai suggested earlier, the blood does little to sooth the excruciating ache. It is an intrusive discomfort he can feel all the way in the pit of his stomach and every forceful lunge forces bile up his throat. His yelps sound pathetic even in his own ears, but he cannot help it. He can hardly hear it over the harsh slap of skin on skin. His cries grow louder when the lord sinks his razer sharp teeth into his shoulder and rips through the skin there. It feels like he is trying to devour him. He can hear his animalistic grunting and tears of humiliation prick the corner of his eyes. He quickly shuts his eyes to keep them from falling, but he knows the other can smell the salty water.

"You have no reason to cry. Rejoice for you are mine now." He all but purrs. His calm façade is gone completely now. He has dissolved into pure savagery and the lust in his gruff tone is clear. "Do you hear me?! You're mine."

"Ugh—ah, f-fuck ngh you!" He can hardly gasp the words out, but he refuses to show any more weakness.

"Shut. Your. Impudent. Mouth." Each word is punctuated with a more aggressive thrust. He is gripping his hips so hard, he feels like he is going to break. The sickening slaps that echo off the cave walls are so loud, Inuyasha is sure anyone on the mountain can hear them. He does not know how much time passes; his body being pounded into the earth, the animalistic grunts of the man on top of him, the pain below his waist threatening to split him open at any moment—it feels like an eternity. But finally, the vicious rhythm breaks down in a series of intense lunges. "Consider yourself lucky hanyou." He snarls into his torn ear, "Not many have the great honor of receiving my seed."

"N—ah No dammit! Ngh yamero, I'll kill you—ugh." The protests die on his lips when he has to refocus his efforts on not loosing the contents of his stomach. Khuzaimah sinks his claws into his already bruised and bloody waist and holds him close as he reaches his peak. "No! Fucking—," This time he cannot hold it back and retches as he empties his full orgasm into him. It seems to go on forever and the feel of him filling him is enough to make him vomit.

"Oh yes~" The Dairyu hisses in ultimate pleasure. The retching inadvertently causes his abused body to clench around him, milking him for all he is worth. When he is fully spent, he shoves the silver-haired male off of him like a used doll. Khuzaimah stands and gets his clothes in order before moving to the exit with a certain smugness to his graceful gait. He spares one more look at his captive and his attempt at indifference fails him as a smirk splits his face.

The lord of the West's second born is laying face down in a pool of his own blood, drool, and vomit. His gold eyes are wide open yet vacant and empty. His clothes are in shreds around his semi-nude body and the lord can already see the black and purple bruises beginning to show on his tanned skin. Anyone who saw him now would think him dead if it were not for the occasional twitch of his tattered dog ear.

'…' He feels numb as darkness creeps in around him. Khuzaimah moves the stone back in place but hisses out one final reminder before shutting him in.

"**You are **_**mine **_**now.**"


	4. It Has Nothing To Do With Me

**Arthur's Note: Hi guys, first of all thank you for all the love on this story. You guys are so consistent with the reviews and support. Even though I have the complete plot ready for this story, you guys' thoughts, comments, and opinions are super helpful (and a lot of times hilarious lol). Fair warning though so far, I have been really good about weekly updates, but I am about to graduate from college and this last month is very stressful. I do not plan on going M.I.A and still want to update consistently! It may just be every week and a half or two weeks rather than every week for this next month. Anyways sorry to ramble and enjoy the chapter. **

Sesshomaru's POV

_(Seven Days Later) _

"Sesshomaru-samaaa."

"…"

"Sesshomaru-saaaama."

"…"

"Sesshomaru-saaaamaaaa~"

"…"

"Sesshomaru-sama? Oof!"

The daiyoukai stops dead in his tracks, causing the green little imp to slam into his leg. He turns his head slightly to glare down at the nuisance who is mere seconds from incurring his wrath. Although his immaculate face is shrouded in passivity, the intensity in his halcyon orbs are enough to send the bald old man fleeing to hide behind the nearest tree. "Jaken."

"Milord?" His voice which was previously an annoying shriek is now barely louder than a half-hearted peep.

"Cease your foolishness at once."

"Yes milord."

His loyal follower has been a torn in his side all morning. Usually the ice lord does an expert job of ignoring him entirely, but his patience is shorter than usual today.

"My apologies Lord Sesshomaru. I know how seeing your mother puts you in a sour mood. Oh, but of course your rage is completely justifiable. She was wholly out of line. How dare she question your ambitions? How dare she call into question your worthiness? Does she not know—!"

Instead of words, the daiyoukai swiftly turns around and delivers a sharp blow to the top of his shiny head. The hit renders him counting stars on the ground as Sesshomaru continues his walk in peace…perhaps peace is the wrong word.

His fine brow is puckered in agitation and his pale lips are set in a tight line. If not for his centuries of self-control, he would be growling right about now. He would never openly admit it, but Jaken is correct. His mother has a talent for getting under his skin the way no one else can. Normally this is not an issue since their paths rarely cross. She spends her days in her castle and he only seeks her out when it is conducive to his plans. Unfortunately, today he found her waiting while he was patrolling his lands:

_(Earlier that Morning)_

"_My boy."_

"_What do you want?" _

"_Is that how you greet your mother?"_

"…" _Although identical, the demoness was the picture of calm meanwhile her son's face was already twisting in mild irritation. _

"_What is it that you seek Sesshomaru?"_

"…" _Whatever he was expecting, it was not that. _

"_You have the meido stone, you have your father's name sake, and you've no enemies left." The line of questioning was already starting to infuriate him. Jaken's disbelieving blustering did nothing to appease the situation. "Do you think I speak to hear my own voice? Answer me boy!"_

"_H-How dare you?" Jaken had finally found his voice and stepped brazenly forward to defend his master. She glared down at the toad demon, looking so much like her offspring that he almost backed down. "No one commands Lord Sesshomaru in such a way! Not even his mother. You have no right to question Lord Sesshomaru this way and if it were not for your blood coursing through his veins then he would—aaah~" _

_Having heard enough, Sesshomaru kicked his servant away before scowling at his mother. "What is the meaning of this?"_

"_I want to know of your intentions."_

"_This Sesshomaru is none of your concern." She has never questioned him like this before and was doing an expert job of putting him on edge. _

"_Are you to continue roaming this world aimlessly? What of a mate? And pups to further your legacy?_

"_Mother—"_

"_Is it to end with you? Am I to disgrace myself by finding a mate once again and having another son for the sake of my and your father's lineage? I understand that there are no more dog demons left, but don't you think you should do something?"_

"_**Mother.**__"_

"_I will not be silenced. You know I speak the truth."_

"_You speak nonsense, for you know nothing. My ambitions have nothing do with you or your lineage."_

"_Does your stubbornness know no bounds? I know how you were before; wandering this world in the frivolous search for worthy adversaries to test your might. But that is over now. Naraku is dead."_

"_You are naïve to think that hanyou trash was a worthy adversary. He was nothing but vermin that needed eradicating from this lifetime. You are foolish to believe him to be the most powerful this world has to offer. I will continue to seek out any who think they can challenge me as all-powerful."_

"_To what end?!"_

"_Until I am slain." _

_Her eyes had flashed red momentarily, but in the next second, she regained control of herself. "And what of the western lands? Who is to reign over them in your selfish quest for gratification?"_

"…" _She had not put him at a loss for words, he had simply realized the absurdity of him standing there and answering to anyone. Okasan or otherwise. He turned his back on her to leave, but her next inquiry gave him pause._

"_So, are you going to meander pointlessly while you await the moments you can visit that human child?"_

_He could feel his blood boiling. His snow-white hair started dancing about his face in an unnatural wind as his youkai threatened to take over and turn him into his true form. _

"_Sesshomaru," Perhaps she had sensed her son's mounting fury because her voice had lost some of its' edge as she stepped closer to him. "I only want you to think for now. Those human children followed you for so long—you obviously have the right instinct to look after your own. Humans are like rats; they will always multiply and spread. It is not your duty to ensure the longevity of a few that will die off on their own accord. It will feel like mere days. What is the use of holding on to something so short-lived? You should think of your own future. Certainly, you would make a far better patriarch than your own." _

_With that he had transformed into the great dog demon and soared into the air, leaving her far behind. _

_(Present)_

'_She has outdone herself on just how foolhardy she can be. Truly, how dare she? What I choose to do and not do is my business alone. I need no one, lest of all something as arbitrary as a family. What do I stand to gain? What can a family give me that I do not already have? Anyway I look at it such a thing would only be a nuisance.' _More frustrating than her interrogation, is the fact that she brought up his father. He had not thought about the previous Lord of the West for a long time now, much longer than any other period in his life. Thinking of the man only brings up bad memories and leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. He is never testier than when he is thinking of the old dog demon. It makes it harder to deal with since he refuses to acknowledge his conflicting feelings in that regard. Meeting Rin and awakening the true power behind tenseiga has allowed him to let go of his bitterness concerning tessaiga but…for a reason unbeknownst to himself, he still holds some resentment towards his father.

Why? At first, he believed it was due to his involvement with a mortal, but would that not make him, Sesshomaru, a hypocrite? What of his own involvement with several mortals at this point? Not only Rin. The fact that he can be in the presence of so many and not attack is a direct contradiction to his previous hatred. Wouldn't such a contradiction imply he considers humans good enough to protect, but not to mate with? Is that why he still cannot forgive his father? He does not know, nor does he want to dwell on it any further. He abhors the intrusive thoughts and feelings that only his okasan can trigger. _'It is a waste of time to think about such useless things.'_

"Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken huffs, finally having caught up to him. "Perhaps we should go visit Rin? The silly girl is somehow an expert in cheering up milord—much better than me." He adds in a defeated grumble.

"…" Although he does not like the implications that he is some sulking brat who needs a human child to 'cheer him up', he was planning on stopping by anyway. It has been a long time since his last visit. Last time, Rin expressed that even though she enjoys Inuyasha's pack, she feels lonely without him. In the face of such a confession, he did not know what to say but made a mental note to stop by more often. Sesshomaru does not verbally acknowledge the imp's suggestion, but when he starts floating into the air Jaken knows to latch onto his mokomoko. Midflight, he spies a nearby village and makes a quick stop before continuing to Kaede's territory.

….

The daiyoukai lands noiselessly, diminishing his barrier as he heads straight for the unique scent of his charge. He spots her nearby, struggling to carry a large basin full of water. In a blink of an eye, he reaches down and alleviates her of the difficult task. She looks perplexed for a moment before looking up and giving him a smile so bright it could put the sun to shame. "Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Rin. Why are you doing this on your own?" She was one tilt away from dumping the entire bucket on herself. _'Where are all the humans who are supposed to be caring for her?' _

"I can do this much on my own, Lord Sesshomaru! Besides, Miss Sango and Hoshi-sama have their hands full right now. Can you believe it Sesshomaru-sama? Miss Sango gave birth to TWO girls. They look exactly the same in every way and, and they are soooo cute."

"Hn." Despite her bubbly rambling, he can sense something off about her normally sunny and carefree disposition. When he first approached her, she had a bothered frown on her round face, and he could tell it had nothing to do with the heavy lifting she was doing. Sesshomaru shoves the basin into Jaken's arms who struggles to keep up as they follow the girl back to the demon slayer's hut. "What is ailing you Rin?"

"I…um…" He glances down at the little girl, more than a little taken aback that she is hesitating to tell him anything. "I'm really worried about Master Inuyasha."

"…"

Although he asks no question, she takes his silence as the go ahead to elaborate. "He left a long time ago to help Tatsuya, but he still has not returned. Hoshi-sama and Kohaku-kun went out several times, but they still cannot find him."

"…" He says nothing at all and soon they find themselves in front of the humble abode.

"Oh! I'm going to bring this inside. I'll be right back—thank you Master Jaken." She gives the green demon a sweet smile as she takes the bucket and scurries inside.

"Feh! Stupid girl. Why would she think you'd concern yourself with that hanyou?"

"…" '_It is not an unfair question. She knows well enough that Inuyasha is not nor will he ever be any of my concern. But…who is Tatsuya? The name is not familiar to me.' _

He does not have long to ponder because Rin comes bustling out after the taijiya who is nearly running towards them. "But Miss Sango! You should not be moving around right now. Hoshi-sama made me promise!"

"Sesshomaru!"

The daiyoukai's cold gaze flicks from his old follower to the young woman currently staring up at him with hopeful eyes. She is holding one infant close to her chest and the other one is strapped to her back with a blanket. Her dark brown hair is in complete disarray and by the looks of the dark circles under her eyes, she probably has not slept in days. Seeing that the stoic lord is not going to verbally acknowledge her, Jaken speaks up in his place. "And what do you want from Lord Sesshomaru?! He is already in a foul mood and I suggest you—"

"SHUT IT YOU!" The unbridled viciousness in her tone sends him hiding behind his unaffected master. "Sesshomaru, it is so good that you are here. We think Inuyasha is in trouble. A little dragon boy came to the village fifteen days asking him for help and he still has not returned. He was supposed to help defend the mountains against the panthers—Ryukotsusei's nephew, Khuzaimah I think it was, called on him specifically." _'Khuzaimah?' _"Miroku, Kohaku, and Shippo have been travelling back and forth for many days trying to find him. They are searching the surrounding forest area for clues. Did I mention that he is supposed to be in the mountains pass Ryukotsusei's Valley?"

He had only been half paying attention so when she springs the sudden question, she only receives a cool stare in response. "…"

"Well, anyway Miroku is sure that there a powerful…barrier…"

She trails off into a mumble when he raises a hand to silence her. They stand silently for a few tense seconds before he poses a question of his own. "And what does any of that have to do with _this _Sesshomaru?"

"I—you—He—what?!" She gapes at him in disbelief. "What are you saying? Inuyasha could be in real danger! He would never stay gone this long—"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

"B-But you have to help!" She all but screams at him. Rin glances between the two adults in anxious concern. The demon slayer looks on the verge of tears. "I pushed him to go and it pains me to think that he could be in danger because of it. He was suspicious and yet I forced him to go. You may be the only one who can help him right now."

"Am I to be held accountable for his stupidity and your ignorance?"

"That's not fair! If it were you, Inuyasha would—"

"It would never be me." His eyes narrow at the sheer insinuation.

"You! Are you really saying you will not lift a finger to help?! Your own brother?!"

"WAAAAAHH~" Before he can put the young woman in her place, the babies attached to her erupt in a chorus of wails. Perhaps in response to their mother's sudden spike in stress. His lips thin into a tight line as he turns and walks away toward the forest with Jaken and Rin close at his heels. "Please!" She shouts after them. "At the very least, check into it." He pays her no mind and soon she is nothing but a scent in the distance.

The trio walk to the very edge of the village where they find A-Un patiently waiting. Rin wastes no time in playing with her old best friend. She runs around him, dancing and singing all the while. The two-headed dragon appears to be just as excited to see her and looks amused at her antics. Jaken is less impressed and berates them for their silliness, making him the perfect target for their jokes and pranks.

As usual, the Lord of the West contents himself with watching passively from the side. He finds a shady space under a tree and sits with his back against it as they engage in their typical shenanigans. Like always there is something calming about the fleeting moment. It was not too long ago when he could indulge in these peaceful times on a daily basis. Since he left Rin to the care of these humans, he has come to appreciate the little moments even more. He knows that, sooner rather than later, he will not be afforded the opportunity anymore. Even now he notices the subtle changes in the little girl who used to blindly follow him. She is taller now. It happened over such a short period of time. Even the way she speaks now hints at a small growth in maturity. It never ceases to baffle him. _'Ningen age so rapidly…' _What is he thinking? There is no use bothering with that irrelevant train of thought. He would never do so in the past. Even when Rin asked him if he would remember her after she died, he refused to go down that rabbit hole. So why is he entertaining it now? Is it due to his recent visit from his mother? His eyebrows twitch downward at the mere thought of her again, so he quickly redirects his focus to someone else: _'Inuyasha.' _

Not necessarily an improvement, but at least someone he is indifferent about. Regardless of his callous attitude, he cannot help but wonder what that dragon wants. _'Khuzaimah…the nephew of Ryukotsusei.' _He does not know anything about him. In his youth he heard the name once or twice and considered seeking him out. He thought that the nephew of the infamous spirit must posses some prowess of his own, but he could not find him. He assumed he either perished or never existed in the first place. '_Why would he suddenly come out of hiding to target Inuyasha? And why the hell would Inuyasha go?' _Sesshomaru is no stranger to his little brother's crippling stupidity, but he thought he had just a little more sense after his ordeal with Naraku. _'Why would he trust someone related to the one responsible for the death of his father? Keep up these moronic actions and you will die before we can have our final battle.' _He has always known that one of them would perish in one last fight—well it is how the hanyou will perish. It is the only reason why Sesshomaru bothered fighting _with _him against so many common enemies. It is the only reason he told the dead miko that Inuyasha was _his _to send to hell. But what if this Khuzaimah has already claimed that right? _'…'_

"Oh, are you leaving already Lord Sesshomaru?"

He pauses mid-stride, not realizing when he stood up and completely forgetting where he was in the first place.

"Good! I have had enough of your nonsense! A-Un, let's go—"

"Stay here Jaken."

"M-M-Milord, you want me to stay here with the humans?"

"Yaaaaay~" Rin squeals in delight while shaking her shorter, less enthused companion.

"Here Rin."

"Hm?" She eyes the little wooden box he holds out curiously, before taking it.

He does not wait around for her reaction and takes off into the air. His superior hearing catches the little gasp of glee when she opens it and discovers the little chocolates inside. "That you Sesshomaru-sama!"

It takes him little to no time to reach the Valley of Ryukotsusei, seeing as he used to come here often to reflect. This time he flies past it towards the small collection of mountains in the horizon. He lands just shy of the main one, near the forest outskirts. There is an unnatural stillness that engulfs the entire area. He cannot sense a single creature, animal or demon, beyond the edge of the forest. There is obviously a barrier in place to keep potential intruders at bay. Powerful enough to keep the likes of those humans he is so fond of away. This should have been Inuyasha's first deterrent, but perhaps his lesser senses could not detect it. That or he is a bigger fool than Sesshomaru gives him credit for.

The question keeps burning in his mind; what does Khuzaimah want with Inuyasha? _'He cannot possibly see him as a greater adversary than This Sesshomaru…No, that would make him equally as moronic.' _But it is possible, and he can feel the indignation rising in his chest. He should go up there and teach them both a lesson. Unlike the foolish gang his brother chooses to run around with, he knows that his half-breed little brother is more resilient than he looks. A troublesome trait that he has had the displeasure of testing time and time again. _'That's right. There is no need for me to waste my time or effort on a pair of wretched idiots.' _If he is done in by some reclusive dragon, then he has only himself to blame. And—

'_It has nothing to do with me.' _

….

Inuyasha's POV

"Sto-ah! F-ngh, ah! St—op! Ugh, god dammit!" He can hardly breathe. It feels like he is being ripped apart. The tearing, the blood, the aching—he tries to focus on something else, anything else. He tries to hold onto the discomfort of the rocks digging into the skin on his back, or to the way the blood is flowing from his shredded shoulder. He already bit through his lip several times in an attempt to quell his pained cries, but even that feels numb now. His eyes are almost swollen shut and he knows his body is littered with bruises and claw marks. But none of it is distracting from the terrible agony below his waist. The animalistic sight of the man moving so energetically on top of him makes him nauseas, but he refuses to throw up _again_. Although this is the sixth time his body is being used, he is in no way used to it. Each time is more excruciating than the last. The shackles on his hands and feet, keep his power drained thus his body cannot properly heal itself. Each new sadistic attack renders him weaker than the last. He can feel his consciousness slipping for the third time and he wills himself to hold on. It feels like if he passes out again, he will never wake up again. He can hear himself whimpering and he chews on his tongue to stop it and stay awake.

"Oh? Are you done screaming? Done bitching? Have you finally realized there is no option for you but to submit? Bear your neck to me and perhaps I shall show you some mercy!"

His eyes were glazed over, and his eyelids were sliding shut, but they pop open at his mocking words. _Submit? Submit?! Never. I'll never give this sick bastard the pleasure.' _"Go, hah fuck yerself'. You're—ngh, nothing but a cow-ah-rd."

For a split second, his crimson eyes widen in shock, but he recovers quickly and grips his hips so hard Inuyasha feels they are going to break. A sneer tugs at his lips as he slams into the body underneath him. "You are going to break, it is only a matter of time. You will either break or die before you do."

As excruciating pain shoots up his hips and takes his breath away, Inuyasha cannot help but think for a brief moment…the ryu may be right.


	5. A Dangerous Discovery

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience in waiting for this next chapter. I hope the longer length makes up for it a bit, but I will definitely try to have the next one out a little sooner. At the end of this chapter I have a question for you guys. Feel free to answer in a review, pm, or ignore it entirely haha. **

Inuyasha's POV

_(Two Weeks Later) _

_This pain. Is there anyway to end it? It is relentless. It is unbearable. 'I feel so powerless. How do I get out?' _

'_**What will it be hanyou? Death or submission?'**_

_Death…or…submission? _

_The body on top of him is a heavy, immovable mass of pure muscle. Every time he grinds against him, it feels as though he is being split apart. 'My body is torn and bruised in so many places. How much longer can I hold out? How long have I been here? Why hasn't anyone come yet?'_

'_**Your place is underneath me. You serve no other purpose and are worthless in every other way. A half-breed mutt should roll over and accept his place gratefully.' **_

'_He's wrong. I know he's wrong, but it's becoming impossible to fight anymore. I just want it to end…The darkness is creeping in. I can't see anything beyond the void.'_

"Inuyasha-sama."

'_I can't breathe.'_

"I-Inuyasha-sama?"

'_But the pain is fading. Everything is fading. The darkness is consuming me. It…feels kinda' good.'_

"Inuyasha-sama!"

"Huh?!" He wakes with a start and flinches when his injuries throb in protest. "Ugh, Kuso!" There is no part of his body not currently tingling in pain. His body is shaking from cold and it takes him a moment to realize his face is drenched in water and not sweat for once. He lays there dazed and confused until Tatsuya leans over to check on him. He is clutching his satchel and canteen close to his chest and peering down at him with wide apprehensive eyes that glow green in the shadows.

"I-Inuyasha-sama? I-I am sorry, but you would not w-wake up…I was s-scared."

'_So, it was just a nightmare…no, for a moment there it really felt like I was fading. And besides, those words…that idiot has said the same kind of thing to me more times than I can count.' _ "Where is that bastard?" The hanyou knows that he must be off the mountain because that is the only reason why the kid would risk a visit.

"M-Master has been gone all day on b-business," _'Business? Probably tormenting some other sap.' _"He should return later tonight. I-I would have come e-earlier b-but he sent me away to do something first, ah uh gomen…"

He has nothing to say as the kid helps him prop up against the wall. With his hands still bound behind his back he has to rely on the dragon boy for food and water. Still, Inuyasha does not know what to make of him. The brat is probably the only reason he is still alive right now. Without the food and water, the curse would have drained the life out of him ages ago. But the fact remains that Tatsuya did lure him here and has made no move to help him escape. He knows he is, rightfully, terrified of his sadistic master so he tries not to take out his frustrations on him. But then again, he is definitely going to keep him at arm's length. _'For all I know, they could be waiting for me to let my guard down. No way that's happening again.' _

The mountain air is cold, tense, and still as he feeds him the usual stale bread with trembling scaled fingers. As always, the ryu keeps his head bowed and avoids looking at the captive's weakened state at all costs. When he brings the mug of water to his lips, he lets out a little gasp of shock and nearly spills it on him. Inuyasha throws him a questioning scowl until he traces his horrified gaze to his right shoulder. _'Oh right.' _He knows it is bad. Besides the ache below his wait, it is the part of his body that hurts the most. He noticed a pungent stench coming from it a couple days ago but could not bring himself to look at it. He risks a glance now and instantly regrets it. The flesh between his neck and shoulder, and most of his shoulder as well, is shredded. It looks as though the Dairyu was trying to devour him and quit halfway through out of boredom. He can clearly see some of his bone and the sight combined with the blood and puss is enough to make his stomach turn.

"T-T-That does not l-look g-good Inuyasha-sama."

"No kidding?"

Ignoring or perhaps oblivious to the man's sarcasm, the kid spares a glance at the ceiling before chewing on his bottom lip in contemplation. Night is just starting to creep up on the clear blue sky. "I—there are s-some medical herbs in the n-nearby forest. I-I can—um will try to make something a-and come back before Master Khuzaimah returns. I-If you catch a fever from this you could…c-could…"

Inuyasha has no idea what his face looks like right now, but it is enough to make the other end that thought with a gulp.

"I will return as quick as p-possible."

Again, he says nothing so the young whelp gathers his things and disappears through the opening in the ceiling, leaving the prisoner to the cold gloom once more. For awhile he just sits there. Unmoving. Unthinking. Unblinking. Only being.

But then the intrusive thoughts come rushing forth like always, _'How long has it been? How much longer can I last? How much longer will I have to fight? To struggle? How many more times does he need to do THAT until he's satisfied? Will he ever be satisfied? Where is everyone? Why haven't they come for me yet?' _The rarely listened to rational side of him knows that they have obviously been trying but cannot reach him for one reason or another. The predominantly protective side of him wants them to stay far, far away and fears that the monster is aware of where they are. There is no telling what Khuzaimah would do to them on a whim. But the other side of him…

The broken side—thinks they are too busy to be bothered with him. The twins must have been born already and now they have a family to take care of; a real family. He knows what he is thinking is wrong. He knows they care about him, so then why does his heart feel so heavy? Why does it hurt so much? He has been alone before. Hell, he has been alone far longer than not.

"Feh!" _'So then why?! Why am I getting so emotional about something so stupid?!' _He can hardly feel his claws digging into his palms and he clenches his jaw when his body begins to shake for a reason besides the cold. The tears prick the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall at any second. He squeezes them shut and hunches over until his face rests on his knees. _'What the hell is wrong with me?! Get a grip! I'll never get out of here if I don't keep a cool head! I just have to hang on. Bide my time. Wait for an opening. I just have to hold on, dammit—_

_For what?' _

"KUSO!" _'Wouldn't it be easier to just give up? No, what am I thinking?! Giving up means dying or…no there isn't any other option. There is no part of me capable of submitting, especially not to a freak like Khuzaimah. I don't want to die, do I? No, I can't. I have to go back and be with the others. I have to protect them. I have to wait for __**her**__. If I'm not there when she returns, I will never forgive myself—' _"W-What?" All at once, he jerks in shock as an alarmingly familiar sensation spreads through his body from head to toe. His eyesight dulls until he can see nothing in the pitch blackness surrounding him. His fangs shrink down to normal incisors and the claws that were digging into his palm retract until they are nothing but dull nails. _'No!' _He can hear nothing over his accelerated heartbeat and smell nothing but the decomposing flesh on his shoulder. _'NO!' _He knows even without looking that his silver locks are now black as night and devoid of dog ears. His once halcyon eyes are now a deep brown.

He is a human.

'_Shit!' _Since he had no way of keeping time, he had no idea the night of the new moon was already upon him. _'I can't believe it's been this long.' _It all makes sense now. He is never more emotional than on the nights of the new moon. _'Dammit, this is bad. My mortal body can't withstand—' _"Aargh, ngh kh!" Right on cue the shocks of pain crash over him in relentless waves. He wants to clamp a hand over his tattered shoulder, but all he can do is curl into a ball on his side. "Hah, ah ngh ah." He can feel himself drifting into unconsciousness and a part of him welcomes it gratefully, but he is also worried he will never wake up again. _'I can't die here. I can't die like this after everything. I will…wake…up…'_

_Everywhere he looks there is nothing but the bleak abyss. He feels light and numb, like he is floating somewhere between reality and the void. It feels like he is drifting towards nothingness. It is so tantalizingly close and so sinfully tempting. He does not feel anything here. He is safe but…he is alone. He has known loneliness for so long. He does not want to suffer alone ever again, but it seems destiny keeps pulling him that way._

_A flash materializes in the blackness and he finds himself subconsciously drifting towards the only source of light in the barren nothingness. The blinding light mellows to reveal a beautiful long-haired princess donning a brilliant pink and cerulean kimono. 'My boy.' She is holding her arms out, inviting him out of his solitude and into the warmth of her motherly love. _

'_Kaasan.' She is coming closer, or is he the one moving forward? From behind her a maiden steps out to stand beside her. A fair miko clad in red and white. 'Kikyo?' Her expression is as stoic and impeccable as ever, only her beguiling eyes hinting at any emotion. She is beckoning him closer with a simple wave of her elegant hand. They are so close. All he has to do is reach out and grab them. He lunges forward with an outstretched hand when a third woman steps out from between them to stand in front with her hands on her hips. _

'_Inuyasha!'_

'_Kagome?!'_

'_Inuyasha, what do you think you're doing?' She looks exactly as he remembers; pretty ebony locks, big doe eyes, and a charming face full of pure determination—he has missed her so much it hurts. He assumed the feeling would be mutual, but when he tries to embrace her, she backs away like he is an enemy. 'No! Stay back!'_

'_W-Why? Kagome you…' His heart feels like it just dropped to his stomach. They have been apart for so long and she does not want him near her? Why? Has she not been hurting too? Has it just been him on his own?_

'_Inuyasha, you do NOT belong here. You need to go back.'_

'_Go back? Go back?! Go back to what?! To being tortured?! And used?! Even if I were to escape or be saved, what's there to go back to?!'_

_Her eyes narrow in a way he remembers means he is in for it. 'What are you saying? Do you hear yourself right now?! What about Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and all the others?! Are you trying to say you don't care about them anymore? When they are working so hard to get to you? They need you as much as you need them!' _

'_I—…' He knows she is right, but he does not want to admit it. 'I need you…'_

_Her face softens considerably as she moves in and cups his face in her soft hands. 'I know, but you will not find me here; not the real me. Your real mother and the real Kikyo would not want you here right now. Wait for me out there. In the meantime—'_

'_Kagome—'_

'_Survive and find happiness.'_

_Happiness? How could he truly be happy without her? 'Kagome, I can't—'_

'_I know it's tough but no matter what, stay alive.' She rests her hands on his shoulders and presses a light kiss against his forehead before shoving him back with surprising force; sending him spiraling backwards. _

'_KAGOME!' _

_She spares him a sad little smile before turning away and fading away into the light with the others. _

"Inuyasha-sama! Inuyasha-sama, p-please try and wake up!" His eyes snap open to Tatsuya shaking him as firmly as he can muster. "Thank goodness!" With his human vision, he can only see his green glowing eyes in the night, but visibility is the least of his concerns right now. His body feels like it is on fire and he can hardly breathe. Everything is fuzzy and his head is spinning. His only relief comes from something cool on his forehead and a tingling numbness in his shoulder. "I treated your wound while you were sleeping, b-but w-why are you h-human? Is this what h-happens to severely wounded h-half-demons?"

"Hah, hah ah fu—aaah!" His body is seizing from the agony and he cannot seem to get enough air to his lungs.

"I-Inuyasha-sama, this is not good. K-Khuzaimah-sama is fast approaching, but I-I do not think a ningen can s-survive long with M-Master's cursed bindings. You are already…I-Inuyasha-sama is not d-doing so well."

"Ngh—kh." Even if he wanted to say something, he cannot physically manage it. All his efforts are concentrated on not crying out with every shaky pant. His mind is slipping, his ears are ringing, and his body will not respond to him anymore. He is so cold, but he is drenched head to toe in sweat.

"Inuyasha-sama, p-please hold on! I-I will go get help!" His voice sounds miles away now. "Please try and stay awake!"

He knows he must or else this may really be it, but it feels like he is fighting a losing battle. His lids are so heavy and the sweat dripping down his face and stinging his eyes is making it all the more difficult. It will not be long now, but he cannot give in. He has to fight. The others are waiting, just like Kagome said. '_They are definitely waiting for me. And I will wait for them as long as it takes_.' His lids droop, but he knows he will wake up again. He has to.

….

"I said HOW did you know he was in such a state?" _'Huh?' _

"I-I-I—"

"If _I _repeat myself, it will be your head." _'Khuzaimah!' _Inuyasha opens his eyes to find himself laying in a nest of some sort. It is still night, but he can see well enough thanks to lavish cave having a large opening for an entrance. _'This is the place he invited me to eat after we fought the birds and panthers.' _

"I-I w-was inside t-the c-cavern w-with I-I-Inuyasha-sama, m-milord." Tatsuya is cowering against the cave wall opposite of him, as Khuzaimah stands between them with his arms crossed and head cocked to the side; emphasizing the large ivory horns that curl behind his cascading hair. The dragon lord's back is to him and he does not seem concerned with the hanyou turned human in the slightest. _'Damn this bastard! Why does it have to be the night of the new moon now of all times?! He's so fucking full of himself, ignoring me like I'm not a threat.' _The truth of the matter is that he is _not _a threat at the moment. He can hardly manage more than a twitch even though his arms and legs are finally untied.

"And what exactly were you doing in there?"

"I-I-I—"

"Spit. It. Out." His hiss is cold as ice and it leaves an ominous chill in the air that puts the mountain frost to shame.

"I! I—Inuyasha-sama n-needed treatment. I was d-dressing his wounds, milord."

"Hm, so how is it that you were aware of his condition?"

There is brief moment of silence before he speaks, obviously trying to choose his words carefully, "I saw his wounds when I b-brought him f-food and w-water."

Another pause. Inuyasha can feel the daiyoukai's aura flare up to sinister levels, but when he speaks again it is with practiced patience. "Ah, I see. _You _took it upon yourself to sneak around behind _my _back and take care of that unsightly crossbreed? Is that the gist of it?"

"…" Despite his human ears still ringing, Inuyasha can hear how hard the kid gulps. "K-Khuzaimah-sama p-please have m-mercy—"

"**Answer me you lowly worm."**

"Y-Yes! Yes L-Lord K-Khuzaimah that is what I did b-but—"

"And I presume that you have been doing this the entire time he has been here?"

"Yes m-m-milord b-but—AAAAAAH!" The shriek nearly makes his heart stop. The room went from ice cold to Hell's inferno in a matter of seconds. Inuyasha manages to crane his neck and he watches in horror as Khuzaimah breathes a cloud of fire down on the boy. He can only see the shadow of his lithe body writhing and trying to escape the harsh flames, but the firestorm is more intense than any fire he has ever seen. "LORD KHUZAIMAH I'M SORRY! AAAAH PLEASE, PLEASE MY LORD! PLEASE AH FORGIVE ME!"

In blatant disregard of his words, the cloud of fire grows and the child's screams turn hysterical.

'_What the hell is he doing?!' _"OI! Stop God dammit'!" From somewhere beyond him, he finds the strength to struggle into a sitting position. Khuzaimah closes his mouth and spins around in wonder, almost forgetting that the Daihanyou was there in the first place. The humans is currently glaring daggers at him as Tatsuya lays face down on the ground whimpering and flinching as his charred skin does its' best to cool off. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"…"

"He's just a kid! Are you such an underhanded monster that you have to rely on treachery and bullying little kids? Scared of what would happen if you faced someone on equal footing? You really are nothing but a spineless coward."

There is a long stretch of silence in where the dragon stares blankly at the sickly man; only the sounds of his heavy pants and the whelp's whimpering breaking the tension. Inuyasha cannot stop himself from shivering and he can only hope it is from the fever and has nothing to with the empty crimson eyes boring into his own. "You still manage to maintain such baffling levels of insolence. I do not know whether to be more amazed by your bullheadedness or your ignorance, but it does not matter. You will only remains because you have not truly experienced complete and total helplessness. You have not been brought to the brink, no-no you have merely had a taste of true despair."

"You don't scare me—!"

In a movement too quick for his human eyes to trace, the dragon grabs his jaw and yokes him up to eye level. A grin slowly spreads across his face as the hanyou's face darkens in realization. "Oh yeah? Then why do you reek of fear? If you are like this now, I wonder what a truly broken hanyou bitch smells like. How far can that pride of yours take you? How much longer until you are reduced to nothing but a sniveling mess? How often do you transform into this disgusting mortal form and what is the cause? How many more interesting discoveries can I explore with the son of Inu no Taisho? Hm~ every time I grow bored and consider throwing you away, you give me a new reason to be intrigued."

"Che." It takes everything in him to bite his tongue and settle for giving him a dirty look. One strike from this maniac in his current state could prove fatal.

"But for now,"

"Ugh!" He drops him all at once and his body crumples under his own weight.

"This ningen state of yours is revolting. It is no wonder you are still on death's door despite Tatsuya's aid. You are weak and pathetic and therefore you deserve everything that comes to you." Before the hanyou's hotheaded nature can get the best of him, he turns his back and regards his struggling servant coolly. "And since you feel such a strong compulsion to help this cur, I will leave him in your caring hands. But let me say this; If the half-breed dies tonight, I will rip your throat out and toss your useless corpse from this mountain."

Tatsuya looks up through his indigo fringe, but the man's glower sends his submissive gaze right back down to the dirt.

"Are we understood?"

"Yes…Khuzaimah-sama." The words come out in a pained whisper that makes Inuyasha's wrist itch for tessaiga. He has not wanted to so ruthlessly tear someone limb from limb since Naraku.

"Your incompetence has been irking me for awhile now. I do not need much more provocation to rid of you—your mother be damned. Remember that." He is not expecting an answer, so he leaves the pair behind with a flip of his midnight green hair. They watch as he sprouts his magnificent wings and takes off into the dusky sky. _'Is he leaving again? How long will he be gone this time? He is arrogant enough to believe he has nothing to worry about back here. He doesn't know I turn back at dawn. My demon blood should get rid of any fever and I should have more energy than ever with these things off of me. I know what I must do. I just need to survive until then.'_

"I-Inuyasha-sama will you lay back down p-please?" Even though his own body is shaking uncontrollably, he helps the captive lay back into the nest of feathers and hay. He grabs a basin and rag from nearby and pats down his sweaty face. Up close the black haired hanyou can clearly see the singed skin all over his arms, legs, and part of his already damaged face.

"Oi, are you alright? You should take care of yourself."

"No!-Ah, Master told me to take care of you…b-besides," He adds in a meeker mumble. "I am okay."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"I can't let you die!" He snaps back, stunning them both into silence. Inuyasha can only watch as he mixes medical herbs and scurries around the room finding things to make his impromptu patient more comfortable. He lights a fire and boils a pot of water over it and the crackling pit lulls him into a somewhat relaxed state.

Even though there is a high risk of falling asleep Inuyasha had to close his eyes because of how violently the room was starting to spin. He was just starting to drift off against his best efforts when he feels something cool placed on his forehead and something warm on the rest of his body. He forces his eyes open to find a blanket draped over his shivering body and a wet rag on his burning forehead. Tatsuya is leaning over him and clutching a little wooden cup in his small hands. "I-Inuyasha-sama? W-Will you drink this tea please? It should h-help. I can drink some first, if you want?"

At this point, it hardly seems necessary. If the brat wanted to poison him, he would have done so a long time ago. Refusing to show anymore weakness, he forces himself into a sitting position despite his nausea and dizziness. By the time he manages it, he is again drenched in sweat and panting but he is able to grab the cup and drink from it himself. To his credit, as soon as he finishes the drink the nausea disappears, and his hand steadies a bit. It is hard not to notice the wide emerald eyes scrutinizing his every move. Looking at the whelp again draws his focus back to his numerous and severe burns. "Does that happen often?"

He looks puzzled until the older nods towards his body. "Eto…n-not really. O-Only when I really anger Khuzaimah-sama…ah! B-But p-please do not worry about me Inuyasha-sama. I brought it upon myself and I will heal soon. This," He touches the red blemish around his eye and cheek, "Happened before I had scales. Now the b-burns will fall off with the damaged scales in a couple of nights. I should be grateful that M-Master held back."

"That's not the point. The bastard shouldn't go around attacking people who can't defend themselves."

"…" He looks thoughtful for a moment before looking down and swiftly shaking his head. "It is my own fault Lord Inuyasha. I-I only need to obey Lord Khuzaimah and not c-cause any inconvenience for him. That is my only p-purpose and I-I cannot even manage to do that properly. M-Master says only the strong are worthy, so they always prevail. The w-weak get everything they d-deserve."

"Tch." _'What a load of shit. That bastard is everything I despise. A mouthy, arrogant, controlling coward.' _

"I know I should simply listen b-but…I do not like seeing o-others suffer.'

'_This brat…that kind of mentality will bring you nothing but misery. Haven't you learned that yet? You will. But for right now, we need to get the hell out of here. The sun is almost up and I should have enough energy to escape, but I still do not know where tessaiga is. I could always come back after I've recovered and take this bastard out at the same time. But first,' _"At dawn I will change back."

"H-Huh?"

"Some of my strength will return and that is when we will make our escape."

The incredulous look on his face is expected, but he still sighs when the little dragon stammers and shakes his head in mortified disbelief. "I-Inuyasha-sama I-I cannot leave! L-Lord Khuzaimah will—"

"He won't do anything to you. I'll make sure of it."

"Inuyasha-sama…" It is readily apparent that the boy is either much too frightened or does not have much confidence in the hanyou's ability to take on his master. Perhaps it is a bit of both. "My place is under Khuzaimah-sama. We cannot—I-I cannot…"

'_Kuso. I can't leave this idiot behind. There is no doubt in my mind that a monster like Khuzaimah would actually kill him if I escape on my own. How can I convince him? When I was his age and on my own, what would I have wanted to hear? What did I want most in all my hardship…' _"What did he mean by 'your mother be damned'?"

The reaction is almost immediate; his head snaps up and his eyes twinkle in the emerging sunlight. "Oh, u-um…my okaasama left me in the care of Lord Khuzaimah, but master is getting s-sick of me. I have been with him for so long a-and milord has only s-spared me for m-my okaasama's sake."

"Why would she leave you with him? Is Khuzaimah your dad or something?!"

"N-No, I do not k-know my father. L-Lord Khuzaimah is my okaasama's older brother."

"So he is your uncle?" He nods the affirmative, so he fires off another question. "When will she be back to get you?"

"I-I do not know. G-Gomen."

"If you come with me, I can bring you to her. She will keep you safe from him, right?"

"I-I…I" He is hesitating, but there is a glimmer of desperate hope in his innocent eyes. "Okaasama would not be h-happy that I went against h-her or Lord K-Khuzaimah's wishes. She told me to obey him no matter what."

"Yeah but," _'Shit the sun is starting to come up. We need to go as soon as we can. _"She would not hurt you, right?"

"Uh, n-no s-she never has—"

"So she would just be angry? That's okay because you miss her right?"

"H-Hai but—"

"You want to see her right? You want her to call your name? To hold you in her arms again?" The image of his own mother assaults his mind; her melancholy face, the tears she shed for him, her warm embrace—the memories bring a lump to his throat and he cannot continue.

Not that he has to. The boy's eyes are full of tears and he rubs at them with the back of his hand. "I-I d-do. I do w-want to see okaasama. I m-miss her."

"Then come with me! If you want to see her, you should—" All at once his body freezes as the sun finally peeks over the horizon, bathing them in sunlight. The first thing to change back is his hair; the midnight tresses are replaced with grayish-white strands and his ears take their rightful place on top of his head. To his relief, there is no longer a chunk missing out of one of them. Soon his fangs and claws return along with all of his half-youkai senses. Just as he thought, he has more energy than before the new moon, but it is not nearly enough to stand a chance against the ryu lord. "Let's go!" Wasting no more time, he grabs the younger's tiny wrist and darts towards the cliff's edge.

"W-Wait! Inuyasha-sama we can't!" Looking over the edge he can see how big of a drop it is to the next ledge. "In your state, you cannot—"

"Don't underestimate me brat!" He leaps with the boy still in hand and almost buckles under the impact.

The kid is really starting to panic now. "P-Please Inuyasha-sama! L-Leave me and just go yourself! Please!"

He spins around and glares at the boy who shrinks back in terror. Even if I wanted to leave you behind, don't I need you to get through whatever barrier he has around this place?!" While he could still think clearly, he assumed long ago that even though he cannot sense it, there must be one in place keeping his friends at bay. "And why the hell would you want to stay here?!"

"Ah—!"

"I am saying I'll protect you so just shut up and follow my lead!" He turns around and abruptly slams into a rock-solid mass. He looks into stony reptilian eyes full of amusement. The ryu sees the way his eyes widen slightly in disbelief and the amusement spreads to his lips; revealing pointed fangs.

"Going somewhere?"

"You—!" The words literally catch in his throat when the taller demon grabs him by the neck and soars up into the air. He takes him back to the peak and tosses him into the cave he just made his escape from. Inuyasha crashes into the rock wall, making an indent in it before flopping limply to the ground.

"Looks like disciplining you is going to be a full-time endeavor. However, _I _cannot waste all of my precious time on trash like you, no matter how entertaining."

"Fuck. You." He manages to get to his feet, but his stance is wobbly.

"Fortunately," He sighs and closes his eyes as the half-demon attempts to slash at him. He side-steps out of the way of the obvious attack and sighs once more. "I have the solution. To think I would actually add a hanyou dog to my collection, but I suppose you are not just any old mangy mutt are you, son of Inu no Taisho?"

"What are you—" In a flash, he closes the distance between them. In the next second, Inuyasha finds himself on his stomach with his arms pinned painfully behind his back. Get the hell off of me!" _'No! Not again! Never again!'_

"Oh don't be so dramatic, I am not going to do _that _to you—yet."

"Tch!" With every second he struggles; the man only presses him harder into the dirt crushing his body against the rock-hard surface. "Khuzaimah, you bastard, I'm going to destroy you!"

"Mhm, you do that. In the meantime," The ryu buries his face into the crook of his neck on his uninjured left shoulder. Inuyasha feels the smile against his skin in response to the way he tensed in dread. "Scared? You should be. Your lack of mark combined with the fact that you have never been in heat means you are not mated to anyone, correct?"

"What…" His question hangs in the air as the dragon rakes his fangs over his jugular. _'No!' _"Stop! You can't! Is that what you meant by collection?! You can't have more than one mate at a—"

"Do NOT compare me to you idiot dogs. We dragons are not so blindly loyal. We can have as many little bitches as we want and the more powerful the alpha, the more betas he can take. And guess what?"

'_This isn't happening. He's bluffing. He wouldn't! He can't!' _

"Unlike you mutts," He goes on. "It does not matter one bit what happens to my mates. A dragon's beta can die and it will not affect me or my power at all. But I am sure even an imbecile like you knows if a beta's alpha were to die, so would the beta."

"You fucking bastard! Don't you dare!"

"Do not worry. There is not a soul alive who could seriously challenge _me_. And if you are a good boy, I will not throw you away." With that he closes his mouth around that delicate bit of flesh again and ghosts his fangs over that sacred spot.

"Don't do it! I swear, I'll tear you apart! What's wrong with you?! Face me like a fucking man, you coward!" Inuyasha lets out a slew of profanities as he struggles for all he is worth. The demon teases him with his teeth and even lets out a chuckle here and there. He allows the younger to struggle for awhile until he yanks up on his pinned arms; yanking one of them out of socket. The rest of his injuries get the best of him and his body goes slack. "Kuso!" _'Why is this happening?' _"Ple—…"

"Hm?" Khuzaimah pauses and tilts his head to look at the other's flustered face. "What was that?"

"…"

"Do not clam up on me now. I am a merciful lord and I reward displays of deference. Be a good boy and ask me nicely."

His jaw sets so hard, he can feel one of his teeth cracking under the pressure. "…Please…" The plea comes out in a strained snarl, but the lord seems pleased, nonetheless.

"Please? Use your words. I know even you can."

"Don't…do it."

"What would you have me do? Surely your impudent actions warrant punishment, do they not?"

'_This piece of shit. He's fucking toying with me.' _"Lock…Lock me up in that place again. Put the ropes back on."

"Hm…not a bad idea." He almost exhales a sigh of relief when the ryu starts to lift himself off. "But would you honestly learn your lesson from that?"

"Ugh!" He slams back down on top of him and hides his face in his shoulder before sinking his fangs deep into his neck. "AAAAARGGGH!" It burns. It feels like white fire coursing through his veins. The sensation is so flooring, he hardly notices when the daiyoukai pulls his tattered pants out of the way and shoves himself deep inside him in one powerful thrust. He teeth remain deep in his shoulder as he pushes himself into his trembling body over and over. His screams echo off the cave walls as the seal appears between his neck and shoulder; marking the silver-haired half-breed as his.

_Forever…_

**A/N: Sorry in advance for the sinister cliffhanger haha. My question, if you choose to answer it, is: How would you feel about a chapter or section told from Khuzaimah's POV? I have an idea for one, but I am not sure if that would disrupt the flow of the story so I'm asking you wonderful people. Would a chapter or two told from Khuzaimah's perspective kind of mess things up and should I keep it to Inu & Sessh POV? Or would it be alright or even welcomed? Thanks for hearing me out and of course, more importantly, thanks for reading! **


	6. Chance Encounter

**A/N: Thanks so much for the responses, you guys are awesome. I got mixed feelings and many telling me to do what I want as the writer, but I decided to stick with Inu/Sessh POV for the sake of consistency. Also, I apologize for the delay on this. I kept starting and re-starting this one and was having trouble portraying what I wanted to. Hopefully that does not come through in awkward writing.**

Inuyasha's POV

His body feels like it is on fire. The sweat dripping off his body does little to alleviate his burning skin and only adds to his discomfort. Even with most of his clothes in shreds, the heat is agonizing. But even worse, is the insufferable ache deep in the pit of his stomach. There is this overwhelming desire building in him. Something he has never felt before and it _must _be satiated. Even now, he is twisting and turning in discomfort as his rock-hard sex aches for release. His breathing is shallow, and he cannot think straight.

He cannot resist any longer. His desire is a physical ache and he _needs _some relief. As humiliating as it is, he allows his shaky hand to slip into his pants. He has only done this a few times in his life, so his inexperience hinders him as he strives to pleasure himself as quickly as possible. His distaste for the situation shows on his puckered brow, but despite his roughness it only takes mere seconds to push himself over the edge. Relief settles over him as he quickly wipes his soiled hand on his torn hakama. For the first time in hours, he can feel his skin start to cool and his body finally stop shaking. His moment's respite is short lived when he notices he is still as erect as before. In the very next second his skin starts to prickle once more with overwhelming heat and the ache in the pit of his stomach returns with a vengeance. _'What the? Why? It barely helped at all! In fact, I feel worse than before. This is impossible. I've never felt anything like this. Is it because of what he did last night?' _After being bitten, the agony and fire coursing through his veins was enough to knock him unconscious. When he woke up, his body was totally immobilized by arousal. He has been laying there all morning, completely unshackled, completely alone, but unable to escape because he can hardly move. _'God dammit! Did he really…Am I really mated to that bastard?'_

"That was a riveting performance."

His eyes dart to the cave entrance to find the male in question leering at him in amusement. Inuyasha can hardly move his body but he manages to slightly prop himself up on his elbows to glare at the man. "Khu—zai—mah." His snarl is hardly menacing considering he has to pause and pant between syllables.

"A good effort, but a wasted one." The ryu smirks at the younger's questioning scowl and elaborates as he creeps closer. "There is only one thing that can bring you relief now. There is only one thing that your body wants or _needs_ more accurately." There is a predatory glint to his crimson orbs as he parts the hanyou's knees to kneel in between them. Naturally he wants to fight, yell, curse—do anything, but his legs tremble with the effort it takes to simply try and close them. The fire is still coursing through his veins, his mouth is so dry, and his arousal throbs painfully with each passing moment. Still he tries to convince himself that it is not true. There is no way he could _want _anything the bastard looming over him has to offer. He can't. He won't. _'No. There is no way…' _He tries to think of all the pain and torment he has been subjected to over the last month, but it is not enough to keep his body from reacting when he strokes a cool hand over the mark on his neck. "I would advise against fighting your urges, hanyou. You belong to me. Half-breed as you are, there is still a demon in you. And that demon wants it's alpha. Do not deny yourself."

The growl he tries to threaten him with comes out in a high-pitched whine which prompts his ears to flatten against his skull when the other chuckles. He tries to turn away as the Dairyu leans over, covering them in his long green tresses.

"Be a good boy and I will refrain from making you bleed…too much." He adds with a too wide grin. Inuyasha continues to glare at the opposing wall as he positions himself between his legs. A sharp gasp leaves his lips as the brute shoves himself inside with no regard to his comfort whatsoever. He screws his eyes shut as the dragon proceeds to pound him into the dirt. It should be painful, and it is, but he can also feel his body responding in a way he never has before. Instead of cringing away, he is arching for more. Instead of whimpering and cursing, he is moaning and gasping. Instead of each thrust of his hips making him sick, every movement pushes him close and close to the edge. _'What the hell is wrong with me?!' _He has to sink his claws into the ground to stop himself from clinging onto the bastard making use of his body. Even so, he cannot help the way his legs squeeze him closer. "Don't fight it. Go on and give in. Submit to me and toy will feel so much better."

'_Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!' _His teeth clench painfully and his toes curl as he paints their stomachs with his seed. He can feel the affects almost immediately; the ache is completely gone. He can practically feel the steam radiating off his skin as it cools in the mountain air. But as his mind clears up as well, his relief is replaced with shame, disgust, humiliation, and most of all anger. Just a moment ago he was feigning for the Daiyoukai like a wanton whore. '…_How could I…' _

Khuzaimah notices the change in the hanyou's disposition and leans forward to nibble at his canine ear with too sharp teeth, causing it to flinch away due to previous trauma. The last time he did that, he bit a chunk out of the sensitive appendage. "This is only the beginning, half-breed. In just a few hours, your body will crave me once again."

'_WHAT?!'_

"But fret not, as long as you're a good little bitch and roll over nicely, I will satisfy you over and over and over."

"…"

….

Sesshomaru's POV

_(One Weeks Later)_

Although the sun shines brilliantly in the crystal blue sky, he can see his breath in the cool morning air. As he steps out from the cluster of trees the temperature only plummets as he approaches the frosty mountain. The monument of earth and stone stands tall and proud, blocking out much of the sunlight and making it much colder in the surrounding areas. Sesshomaru knows that if he were to scale the mountain or fly to the top the temperatures would reach freezing levels. However, like all the other days, he does no such thing and stops just shy of the base of the rocky structure; as far as the barrier comfortably allows him. His fair eyes scan the peak, but as usual he cannot see any movement or sign of life. The barrier ensures that he can sense, hear, smell, and see nothing but an unassuming mountain and valley. Despite the responsible youkai's efforts to cover up the ominous aura, the lord of the West can easily pick up on the unnaturalness of it. Luckily for the dragon, or whoever resides here, he has no intention of breaking the barrier or making his way up to the peak. He is only here out of…curiosity.

"Lord Sesshomaru, may I ask why we keep returning to this valley?" A slight narrowing of his lord's eyes is enough to silent the bumbling toad. He knows better than to question the Lord of the West, especially when he is in one of his moods, but the Daiyoukai has made a peculiar habit of patrolling these forests lately. No matter where they go, it always seems like they end up back here at some point. The only logical conclusion he can some to, is that his lord is actually searching for signs of his younger brother. But that would be absurd. Sesshomaru would never waste his time doing such a thing. Before he can make up his mind to ask the question in a different way, less impudent way, a distinct rustling of leaves draws their attention to a nearby bush. All at once, the rustling stops as if aware of the sudden scrutiny.

Jaken waits half a beat before calling out with an authority that only comes from serving the Lord of the West. "Present yourself before Lord Sesshomaru and state your business."

"…" The bush quivers but falls still once more.

"Hmpt! Insolent little—show yourself at once or face the wrath of the Staff of Two Heads!"

During the brief exchange the Inuyoukai's face was a wall of impassiveness as usual, but his golden eyes narrow ever so slightly when a small creature cradling a bundle of herbs emerges from the foliage. The boy's short stature is made smaller by his knocked knees trembling in utter terror. His indigo hair shields his face from view, but Sesshomaru can make out the barest hint of green when he risks a terrified glance in his direction. Those reptilian eyes combined with his scattered scales and tiny horns leaves no doubt what type of demon this child is. _'I did not pick up on his scent at all. It must have been diluted so close to this barrier. That or he is incredibly weak. Just how many of them are hiding in these mountains? How could an entire roost of ryu escape my notice for so long?' _

"Aha! I knew something reeked." Jaken spits despite not being able to smell anything either.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry. I-I did not m-mean t-to—"

"That's right you're sorry!" The demon toad is obviously relishing the notion that anyone could actually be afraid of him. "Now explain yourself. Why were you sleuthing around in the bushes like some sort of vagrant? You are not foolish enough to think you could sneak up on Sesshomaru-sama, are you?"

His looks up in horror and shakes his head to the contrary. "N-No o-of course not. I-I would n-never—I-I was m-merely collecting herbs."

"Che, identify yourself!"

"I-I-I—!" When he makes accidental eye contact with the Inuyoukai's icy stare, he drops the bundle of greens to prostrate himself on the forest floor. "I-I—"

"Tatsuya, you worthless imp!" The child nearly jumps out of his skin when a serpentine voice hisses from the trees. _'Tatsuya?' _A youkai clad in the robes of a noble strides into the clearing with a snarl on his scaled face. "What is taking you so…long…I see." If the horned man is surprised, he hides it well.

In the face of this new, more imposing potential enemy Jaken loses his bravado and stumbles back behind his lord before calling out, "H-Halt! Who goes there?!"

The nameless stranger tears his ruby eyes away from the daiyoukai to grin at his charge in amusement. A mirth, Sesshomaru notes, that does not reach said eyes. "Funny you should ask me that in _my _territory."

"Eh?! Oh well, ehmm you see—"

"No matter," His smile is threatening to spilt his face in half as he strides close to the pair. Sesshomaru stands his ground with no issue, but the demon's ominous aura is enough to send Jaken stumbling back several feet. The man stops mere feet away, a good enough distance to belie any threat, and places a hand on his chest. "I am Lord Khuzaimah, ruler of these humble mountains." He pauses to offer a small, contrived bow. "And you must be…must be son of Inu no Taisho; the killing perfection…Sesshomaru."

"That's Sesshomaru-sama to you!" Jaken pipes up from his hiding spot behind one of the trees.

"But of course," Another forced smile, "Sesshomaru-_sama_, welcome to my lands, but I must ask; why are you here?"

Instead of answering, his halcyon orbs settle on the miniature dragon currently trembling behind his master with his face plastered to the ground. _'Tatsuya…that is the name Rin mentioned. There is no doubt, this dragon is the same Khuzaimah Inuyasha ran off to help and then disappeared without a trace. He reeks of Inuyasha. His scent is all over him.' _All at once the air grows thick with the pungent scent of reptile and alpha hormones. The corner of Sesshomaru's mouth twitches in part amusement and part offense. He knows what the Daiyoukai is trying to do, but it is much too late. No barrier can dull his senses enough and no pheromone is potent enough to cover up his little brother's scent. He could pick it out anywhere. It is, after all, the smell of his father's blood tainted by that of a human's. He should be insulted that this fictitious lord would even try.

"Well," Khuzaimah continues once the silence is more than he can bear. "No matter. I am sure you have your reasons; I would offer my assistance in your endeavors, but I am not often available. Nor will you be able to reach me on my mountain—"

"Where is Inuyasha?" Although it _is _a question, the inquiry rings out around the clearing like a brusque demand.

"I—what?" He looks sincerely taken aback.

"Inuyasha. Where is he?"

"I do not…ah, your younger brother, second son of Inu no Taisho, correct?" The smile on his face is strained now and it looks like it is taking everything he has to keep it up in the face of the intimidating lord. Still he maintains a cool, calm façade. "He helped me out with a panther situation quite some time ago. I have not heard from him since. If you are searching for him, my assumption would be that he is back in his village."

"…"

"…"

"…" A tense silence settles between them, only disturbed by the rapid beating of the ryu-boy's heart and the rustle of animals scurrying between the leaves. The dragon lord looks ready to turn tail and flee, but he arrogantly stands his ground waiting to see if the snowy-haired lord of the West will call him out on the validity of that statement. "…I see…" Sesshomaru flicks his gaze over his own shoulder and in the instant Khuzaimah's eyes follow, he closes the distance between them before the ryu can draw his next breath.

Khuzaimah is openly alarmed by such abrasive actions and makes a move to step back. "What is the meaning of this?!" Despite being caught off guard, Sesshomaru takes note of his quick reaction. _'The defense stance was almost immediate; hand poised over his sword, feet firmly planted, shoulders squared…hn, he is competent enough.' _

Without bothering to dignify him with a response, Sesshomaru turns and casually stalks away from the stunned dragons and their puny territory. Jaken follows close at his heels and as soon as they are out of earshot grumbles, "Che, the nerve of that would-be lord. How dare he question Lord Sesshomaru. He almost wet his pants when you displayed your superiority! Still…there is something off about him." _'Off indeed. He was clearly lying about Inuyasha's whereabouts. However, Inuyasha should be more than enough for the likes of him. Perhaps with some difficulty but still…No, there is no use wasting time thinking about my foolish little brother. Whatever idiocies he gets himself into, is none of This Sesshomaru's concern. Now that I have ascertained that this Khuzaimah is of no real challenge for me, I have absolutely no reason to ever return here.'_

….

Inuyasha's POV

_(Six Weeks Later)_

"Blargh, ugh—shit," This is the third time he has thrown up and it is still early morning. On top of that, even though he knows it is freezing up on the mountain top, he is constantly covered in a sheen of sweat. _'What the hell is going on with me? My heat ended awhile ago and I don't just get sick.' _His demon blood typically takes care of anything in that regard, so he has no idea why he has been feeling so queasy lately. It is making it harder to gather his strength.

"G-Gomenasai Inuyasha-sama, I-I'm coming now." The bluenette scurries over from the fire with a steaming cup clutched tightly in his trembling fingers. "Here is your tea, sir."

He sits up a little too quickly but ignores the way the room spins to gulp thankfully from the cup. The only thing that settles his nausea is the herbal tea Tatsuya so diligently prepares for him up to three times a day. The boy has to hold it in place for him since his arms are, as usual, tied behind his back. Khuzaimah made sure to restrain him properly once his heat ended, except for now there is only one metal chain locked around his right ankle which connects to a metal loop on the wall. Also, it appears this time the bindings do not sap away his energy, but it definitely does something to keep him weak and subdued. The silver-haired hanyou has tried everything imaginable to escape. He has yanked his shoulders out of socket many times, trying to wriggle through his restraints. Trying to convince Tatsuya to free him is a fruitless venture these days. After being caught by Khuzaimah the last time and almost being burned to a crisp, the kid is too traumatized to even be alone with him for an extended period of time. "Where did that bastard go this time?"

"A-Ah, um K-Khuzaimah-sama said he had some business close by. H-He should be back soon."

He hates it when the Dairyu vaguely suggests he has "business" to take care of. He has learned that an effective way to manipulate the hanyou into docility is to threaten to pay his village a visit and do a "cleansing of the disgusting mortals". No matter what happens to him, Inuyasha _cannot _let that happen. _'I could never forgive myself if something happened to the gang or any of the villagers. But how much more can I take?' _He used to think that he was unbreakable, but now he is not too sure. Not only is his body reaching the limit, but he is mentally tapped out. _'How much more?' _Everything he tries ends in failure and every time he does anything against Khuzaimah, the matting mark on his neck burns in agony. _'Now there is whatever this sickness is to deal with. Tch, when will my opportunity come?_' He has long since given up on Miroku and the others coming to find him. _'I just need one chance. One moment of weakness on his part.' _

"I-Inuyasha-sama?" He has grown accustomed to the brat's timid little murmurs, but it is still enough to break him away from his thoughts. "A-Are you alright?"

"What? Yeah, don't worry the tea is still working. I don't feel like barfing again yet."

"N-No, sorry sir, I m-mean you a-are shaking awfully hard. W-Would you like me to add m-more kindling to the fire?"

'_Shaking?' _It is only then that he realizes just how violently he is shaking. _'What the hell?' _

He does not wait around for an answer before rushing over to add more tinder to the fire in the center of the room. Soon he comes back with a bowl full of some medical mixture. He has learned that the kid is really good at making them. "I-It has been a-awhile since I-I have treated your w-wounds. M-May I?"

Truthfully, if the he did not take the time to periodically do this, the hanyou would be in a much worse place physically. He would probably be as weak as those first few weeks he was imprisoned. Khuzaimah takes every opportunity to remind him of "his place". His body has the reminders all over it in the form of bruises, gashes, scars, and bites that never seem to heal fast enough on their own. Every time he catches a glimpse of his battered body, it fills him with blinding rage and crippling shame, so he tries to avoid looking altogether. Still, the tiny bit of rationality he has left knows the best course of action is to gather his strength as much as possible. "Feh, yeah whatever."

With the go ahead from the his typically stubborn patient, Tatsuya goes about treating and bandaging the most severe of his injuries. Inuyasha usually avoids eye contact during this process since he hates how vulnerable it makes him feel, but he looks over when the kid lifts his undershirt and freezes. He follows his emerald stare to his own stomach and scowls when he notices how rounded it looks. It is not a huge bulge, just a small rounded bump, but it makes his stomach protrude enough to be noticeable considering he had toned abs before. "What the heck is that!?" He cannot even reach down and feel it due to his hands being tied behind his back.

"I—I do not know Inuyasha-sama." The brat looks just as perplexed as he is. "It looks like…I-I can examine it, i-if you will allow me sir?"

"No just leave it—" A rush of violent wind swirls around them, putting out the fire and causing Tatsuya to shield his face from the harsh nips. They know it can only mean one thing. Sure enough, Khuzaimah soars upwards, past the peak, before circling back and touch downing in front of them.

His loyal slave already has his face buried into the dirt. "Welcome back, my lord."

"Status report." The long-haired male barely acknowledges his nephew as he stares over his shoulder as if he expects someone to be following him. Inuyasha noticed that the Daiyoukai has been on edge since awhile ago. He has been making the child scout the surrounding area, investigate, and patrol more and more. This behavior started a little over a month ago when the duo returned from a short trip. Khuzaimah was enraged about something and he decided to take it out on the boy. Inuyasha woke up to his screams and to the dragon beating the kid to a pulp. The hanyou tried to intervene, but the lord continued to beat him unconscious before turning on his prisoner. His ivory horns nearly knocked his head clean off and it certainly broke a few ribs. Neither of them could move for days after and Tatsuya utterly refused to tell him what caused his anger in the first place.

"T-There has been no activity in the f-forests and…n-no sign of _them_."

"Mn…and the roosts?"

"A-Ano." The natural scent of fear the kid always radiates increases tenfold as he struggles to find the right words. "Etto…erm t-they, um—"

"Spit it out you mindless worm!"

"F-Forgive me, master! T-There h-has been some u-unrest in the l-lower roosts. T-They have been a-acting…rebellious. There are t-two in particular w-who are trying to rally the others against y-you, m-my lord."

"I see." His crimson leer takes on a sinister glow as a wide smirk creeps across his face. "It would appear that my nests are long overdue a culling." Tatsuya lifts his head to object, but quickly looks away when they lock eyes. "Is that all then?"

"No my lord, uh, I-Inuyasha-sama has been very ill recently."

"And?"

"A-And it is o-only worsening as the days go by."

For the first time since arriving, he turns his bored stare in the tired looking Inu against the wall. He can clearly see the way he is panting and the shudders rippling through his body despite the cavern's warmth. "Hm, are you trying to tell me it is time to take out the trash?"

"What?" Tatsuya gasps as the words tumble out of his mouth in an effort to correct himself. "N-N-No! I-I w-was j-just—"

"I have grown bored with that mangy cur lately and he has proven to be more trouble than he is worth. It has never taken me so long to train anyone else. He is beyond help and refinement. What do I expect when playing with mutts? I should have known better than to add something so weak and pathetic to my collection."

"Weak and pathetic?" Inuyasha sneers as the demon skulks to his position to look down his nose at him. "Feh, that's rich coming from a spineless coward."

"I cannot wait to be rid of your impudent mouth, but first," He grabs his knees and forcefully parts them, causing searing pain to rocket through his already sore hips. He tries in vain to close his legs as the Dairyu kneels in between them. "Your body still has some use. One last time before I send you off to meet your father, hm?"

"Fuck you!"

"You know hanyou," He hisses before latching onto his silver locks and pulling him close. "The body stays rather warm for quite some time after death. I could always rip out your throat before rather than after I have my way with you. I will give you the choice as a dying gift. Am I not a gracious lord? Hahahahaha." _'Shit, shit, shit! After he is done with me, will he go after the others?' _The thought of dying is not his biggest concern at the moment. It is what the ryu might do _after _killing him that has him worried. _'Is he petty enough to attack Kaede's village in spite? Or will he move on completely after killing me? God dammit! How do I get out of this!' _

"Master wait!" His intervention comes as a huge surprise and he looks over the man's shoulder to see Tatsuya steeling himself for what is to come. _'Baka! Don't do anything that will get you killed.' _

"Tatsuya, you are dismissed."

"B-But master—"

"Be gone." Inuyasha snarls under him when he stops his wild thrashing by grabbing his ankles and forcing his legs above his head.

"My lord, t-there is something—"

Khuzaimah pauses, genuinely stunned that his ever-obedient servant would dare to speak again. His eyes glow ruby red as he snaps around with razor sharp teeth bared. "Have you finally lost your mind?! Leave **now **or I will slash **your **throat first."

Even from where Inuyasha is, he can hear Tatsuya's meek whimpers, but he remains rooted to the spot. His knees are knocked together and his legs are shaking so hard it is a wonder how he is standing at all. He looks afraid for his life, and rightfully so considering what his uncle could do to him, but yet he makes no move to leave the cave. _'What the hell are you doing? Get the hell out of here!' _

"Khuzaimah-sama please forgive me for my insolence. I deserve whatever punishment you deem necessary and I will accept it graciously and gratefully. But I implore you to take a look at Inuyasha-sama's abdomen before you decide to g-get r-rid of him." His spiel came out in one rushed breath and he drops into a low bow as soon as the last word leaves his trembling lips.

It is the first time Inuyasha has heard him speak so much in Khuzaimah's presence and with hardly a waver to his subservient words. The Dairyu seems torn between his apparent curiosity and his desire to be malicious. Eventually he chooses the former and turns his attention back to the Inu pinned underneath him. "…This better be good Tatsuya. Otherwise I am going to snap your neck for your insolence and tell your mother it was a mishap due to your incompetence during a flying lesson." More whimpers accompany the threat, but he ignores it in favor of lifting Inuyasha's undershirt. For a second he is stunned into inaction, but he quickly recovers and reaches down to caress the small bump that is his stomach. As usual his hand is cool to the touch and causes the other to squirm in revulsion, but he ignores his reactions and he studies it intently. His attention is solely on his abdomen and it is starting to make him anxious. "Interesting…very interesting…I never thought a half-breed could, hm…I wonder…"

"What are you saying? Make some sense!"

"I suppose that this _would_ happen, but I never expected it to work with a half demon of another race at that. Will it be an egg or…?"

"Oi! Bastard! Don't ignore me! What is going on?! What did you do to me?!"

He snaps out of his contemplation and locks eyes with the enraged male before grinning in that way Inuyasha has grown to hate with a fiery passion. "Want to hear something interesting?"

"Don't fuck with me!"

"Ryuyoukai are rare and almost extinct so naturally we have learned to adapt and evolve. When a strong enough alpha mates with another male, the beta's body starts to develop and change. I have heard that this change can happen on the inside, outside, or both. The beta's body will change to accommodate their alpha's young."

"What…?"

"I have never mated a male this long before killing him, so I had no idea this would work with a male who was not also a dragon. No wonder you have been feeling ill. You have been changing from the inside all this time and now it looks like your body has finally evolved enough to carry my seed."

'…_There is no way he is saying what I think he is…'_

"I just wonder, with you being a mangy mutt and all, will you carry live young or will your body change enough to produce an egg."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! THIS ISN'T FUNNY, YOU BASTARD!"

"Every single time I grow bored of you," he continues without missing a beat, "You give me another reason to keep you alive." He leans down to hiss directly in his ear. "Seems like no matter how much you fight it; your body wants nothing more than to be my bitch. Fret not, I am amused so you shall live—"

"NO!"

"**To bear my child." **

….

**Author's Note: Again, I would like to apologize for the wait on this chapter. I had most of this done for a while, but I wanted to make the chapter longer.**

**On another note, I want to take a moment to talk about something important to me. In a forum I run, the topic of reviewing has been discussed in great detail. We have mentioned that people do not review the way they used to, and this is especially hard for pairings that are not as popular. In that regard, we are trying to bring about the "Reviewolution". In every story you read, not just this one, leave a smiley, say you hate it, write your thoughts—whatever. Review the stories you read. It makes a world of difference for the writers and I think that it is part of being in the FF community whether you just read, write, or both. # Reviewolution**

**If you read all of that, I appreciate you taking the time to do so! **


	7. I Promised

**Warning for this chapter: Khuzaimah. Enough said. **

Inuyasha's POV

_(Two Weeks Later)_

Every day is a struggle. A struggle to hold onto his sanity. A struggle to wake up and brave a new day. A struggle to maintain the will to fight. He never thought the simple act of living could get any harder than his childhood days. Living is not only a chore; it is unending torment. With each passing day he watches helplessly as his stomach grows with the spawn of Satan himself. He knows next to nothing about youkai pregnancies, but he definitely knows now that it does not take nearly as long as human ones. It took Sango much longer to reach the stage he is at now. Every time he looks down, he can see his swollen abdomen; a constant dreary reminder of his current predicament. _'I have to get rid of this thing. I don't care how. I don't care that it's just a brat. I am NOT carrying this bastard's kid.' _He already asked Tatsuya to stab him to stab him in the stomach with something, but the horrified youngster vehemently refused. Without his cooperation, he has reached the conclusion that the only other option is to starve himself. He has not eaten anything in the last five days despite Tatsuya's best efforts. If depriving the unwelcomed cretin growing inside him is not enough, then when his abdomen grows large enough, he will slam himself against the wall until it flattens out. If _that _does not work, he will provoke Khuzaimah until he beats it out of him. He knows the hot-headed tyrant could take his life as well but, he does not care. He will not be made to birth his child.

"L-Lord Inuyasha?"

"What do you want?" The ryu is not his favorite person right now. Inuyasha has been stubbornly glaring at him from across the room for the last few hours. Every day he comes in to prepare a meal he knows the captive will not eat. Inuyasha is well aware that the idea is to let the smells force him into caving, but he will not take the bait. Too bad for him, the self-raised half-breed has long since trained himself to endure the most severe of hunger pains.

"W-Would you like something to e-eat t-today?"

"**No.**" Even as he answers, his empty stomach gives a loud growl in protest. _'Curse this brat!' _

"A-Are you su—"

"Get out."

"Y-Yes sir. I-I will just leave it here in case I-Inuyasha-sama c-changes his mind."

"Feh." He scoffs and looks away as the boy places the bowl of food within his reach before dashing outside. Almost immediately the pregnant hanyou turns his back on the enticing smells. He cannot give in no matter what. He has to starve this hellspawn out at all costs. Physically he has started to feel the toll. His body feels drained of all energy and he spends most of his days sleeping to escape to hunger pains. He feels so sick. _'If I feel this shitty, there should be no way for this…thing to be alive.' _The only problem with his current plan is if Khuzaimah chooses to attack him right now, he may not survive in his current state. Still, to him, death is a much better outcome to bearing that monster's offspring. Either way, even if he wanted to test that theory, he cannot. The psychotic mountain lord's location is currently unknown. He has been gone for the last few days and Tatsuya claims he does not know where he is. If he was here, Inuyasha would have provoked him while he still had his strength.

'_How could this happen to me? What would I do if any of the others saw me like this? Sango, Miroku, Shippo…what would Kagome think?' _"Kuso!" _'I am meant to be everyone's protector. Everyone's savior. And here I am trapped, weak, and carrying my enemy's child! This is pathetic. I can't—I won't. I'd rather die. And I'll take this bastard child with me. This thing is no kin to me. My real family is in Musashi; waiting for me. And this THING is just another barrier keeping me from reaching them. I will not let IT keep me from going home. I—'_

_**Bathump! **_

'_What? What the hell was…'_

_**Bathump!**_

'_There it is again. That isn't my heart.' _As soon as the thought occurs to him, he looks down at the swollen lump on his belly in stunned awe. _'That was...'_

_**Bathump! **_For some unexplainable reason he can feel his anger, pain, worry and cares all fade away with each passing thump. The soft beat of his child's heart lulls him into a calm warmth he has not experienced for a long time now.

_**Bathump—Bathump! **__'Wait, there's two? There's two different heartbeats!' _A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, but just as quickly it disappears. The heartbeats sound faint—weak. And they are very far apart. _'This isn't good.' _He turns around and his golden gaze falls on the bowl of food a few feet away. He does not think twice before hurrying over and kneeling before it. All sense of dignity and pride is lost on him as he shoves his face into the bowl and scarfs down the food like a dog. He does not care about how he looks right now. Just a minute ago, he wanted these brats dead but now...It is as if a switch was just flipped in his brain. His heart suddenly feels so full, but how much damage has he done to them already? Is it too late? Will eating now fix things? What has he done? He needs to get them help! "TATSUYA!"

It takes mere seconds until Inuyasha can hear then see the little ryu scrambling up the lip of the mountain. "Y-Y-Yes Inuyasha-sama?" He looks rightfully confused and worried that the proud dog would call for him with such clear, needy desperation.

"I need more food—and water! Is there any tea you can brew up or anything you can make to restore my strength?"

"I-I…" He freezes up in the face of the hanyou's sudden change in demeanor.

"Snap out of it kid! My pups have really weak heartbeats." _'My pups!' _"I need your help building up their health. Can you do that?"

"Hai…r-right! G-Gomenasai! I will go collect some herbs and be back with something as soon as possible!"

Inuyasha can still hear the soft, irregular beats of his unborn children resonating within him. He wants so badly to reach down and stroke his stomach. To let them know everything is going to be alright. His hands may be tied behind his back, but he hopes they can feel that warmth regardless.

'_I won't let anyone hurt you two. I know what I said before, but just forget about all that. I'll keep you safe.'_

….

_(One Month Later)_

The first week after discovering the presence of his little tots was wonderful. Every day he listened to the sound of his babies' hearts growing stronger. It filled his heart with a happiness unlike anything he has ever felt before. This feeling was only made better by the fact that Khuzaimah never returned.

The second week was a rollercoaster of emotions: joy, sadness, unbridled rage, occasional apathy, fair, shame, excitement—sometimes he experienced all of these moods in a matter of hours! He knows he frightened his diligent little dragon caregiver with his sudden bouts of cursing and shouting. Afterwards he would feel so bad for acting like a raging psychopath, but he just could not get a handle on his emotions that week and to make matters worse it was the week of the new moon. If he thought he was uncomfortable before, being human took it to a whole other level; the bloating, swollen feet, excruciating cramps, odd cravings; it was awful. He owes Sango a huge apology when he gets back for treating her like some deranged madwoman. The only consistent cause of joy that week was that his children's sire was still nowhere to be found.

The third week was surreal. At this point, he could no longer look down and see his feet. The rare kicks he used to feel from time to time became daily and frequent. The reality that he will be giving birth soon really set in for him that week. He will soon be meeting these pups he has been carrying for almost eight weeks. Him, Inuyasha, the hanyou from Musashi, will be a mother. It is unreal. What would his gang think? Kagome? Kikyo? His mother? Of all his trials and tribulations, he never thought he would add being an okaasan to the list. He does not feel like he is fit to parent anybody—let alone two little babies. He is long pass regretting it though. His heart twists in shame when he even considers doing anything to harm his pups. He could never do that now. But he could not help dwelling on what comes after. What kind of life is in store for his children if he cannot escape? To make matters worse, Khuzaimah returned that week. And although the daiyoukai voiced that the pregnant half breed was repulsive to him in his current state, Inuyasha was in a constant state of panic. One wrong move and the bastard could have seriously hurt his little ones. And the dragon is definitely demented and sadistic enough to make a move over any minor provocation. The stress of agonizing over the possibility was enough to make him sick and he wonders if he inadvertently hurt his children because of it. He could only think; if being around Khuzaimah is already this detrimental when they are unborn, what will it be like afterwards? A life like Tatsuya's? Perhaps even worse considering they will be part Inuyoukai and part human? The ryu lord has already shown his obvious disdain for both. Will he even be around to protect them or will Khuzaimah get rid of him as soon as they are born? He needs to escape while they still have a chance. He does not want to imagine what could happen to his precious pups if he is forced to stay.

And this brings him to his current situation; week four. He is in, what should be the final stretch of this pregnancy. His swollen abdomen and constant cramps are definitely a clear indicator. Since Khuzaimah returned last week, he has been allowed the freedom of not having his arms tied behind his back all day. And the only reason the reluctant lord granted him that much was because Tatsuya begged on his behalf. He managed to convince him it would be a danger to the unborn children he is carrying if he stayed restrained all the time. Now for the most part, he is left with just the metal cuff around his ankle to keep him detained. His tormentor is not here at the moment and there is no better time to escape, but he is so immobilized right now it is difficult to even stand. He has been examining the chain in his spare time and he is not sure his iron reaver soul stealer could slash through it, especially with how debilitated he is at the moment. He is running out of time and options. He needs to act now to get his little ones to safety.

"I-Inuyasha-sama, w-what are you…?" The green-eyed youngster startles out of his own thoughts and almost trips over himself trying to reach the pregnant hanyou who suddenly decided to stand up on his own.

He grumbles under his breath as the younger male helps him to his feet and yanks his arm away as soon as he is stable. Even the simple act of standing has him short of breath and his forehead damp with sweat. He tries to ignore the fact that it feels like his insides are twisting around and gives the chain connecting him to the wall a firm tug. _'In the end, this wall is just made out of rock, right? It shouldn't be too difficult.' _"Sankon Tesso!" The force of his iron reaver soul stealer attack sends him reeling back towards the ground but, Tatsuya quickly moves behind him and uses all his strength to keep him up. His puny arms shake with the effort, but he manages to push him upright.

"L-Lord Inuyasha! B-Be careful! W-What are you trying to do? P-Please, let m-me provide my assistance."

The silver-haired male ignores him completely and turns his attention back to the wall. _'Shit. Not even a scratch? Am I really that powerless right now? Or is the barrier that tough? I need tessaiga!' _"Kuso." Much to the kid's horror, he proceeds to take regular slashes at the wall but all to no avail. It feels like his claws are going to give in way before this wall does, but it does not stop him from trying.

"I-Inuyasha-sama p-please—" When the pregnant male responds with more relentless slashing, his docile plea raises to an urgent shout. "S-Sir! It will not work!"

"And why not?" When he pauses to catch his breath, the toll of his actions takes over and he finds himself sagging against the wall.

"There are barriers all over these mountains. My lord," He looks hesitant to reveal anything, but continues when it looks like the older half-demon has his mind set to exert himself further. "My lord n-never leaves without making proper precautions."

'_I knew it! The fucking coward. How can he maintain so many barriers when he is hardly here? Even Naraku had to stay put if he wanted to put up a very powerful one and this fucker has many. There has to be something else going on here'. _"Then help me out."

He already predicted his reaction, but it still takes all his self-control not to groan in frustration. The kid takes a few steps back before staring quietly at his bare feet. He uses his indigo hair to shield himself from view before murmuring, "I-I cannot—"

"You can. You just said you wanted to help."

"E-Even if I c-could, t-the m-main problem is the major barrier b-between the mountains and the f-forests."

"DON'T mess with me!" Even though Inuyasha has never put his hands on the boy and hardly poses a threat in his current condition, he still scrambles back until he is well out of range of what the captive's ankle brace allows. "I KNOW you can come and go as you please through this damn barrier."

"Y-Yes b-but that is o-only by my m-master's a-allowance. I-I have no c-control…" One murderous glare is enough to change his mind over pleading his case.

"Look kid, you need to man up. Haven't yah' learned that yet?" When he was a brat on his own, he learned the hard way that being spineless will only lead to an early demise. In this horrid world of humans and youkai it is kill or be killed.

"…"

"Don't yah' know if you don't start making yah' own moves, and thinking for yourself yah' ain't going to make it? Haven't you been through enough to know that by now?"

"…" He risks a peek through his bangs and Inuyasha can see the ever-present fear and worry in his large jade eyes, but he can also spy something else. His eyes are clouded by an emptiness he, himself has known as a child.

"You know that Khuzaimah is shit."

"Ah! Uh, n-no ano—"

"You know it! You've probably seen more horrors than anyone." Just last week the dairyu was bragging about his most recent "culling" of the lower roosts. Apparently, Tatsuya was there to witness it and looked absolutely traumatized afterwards. He refused to speak at all for days he could be heard screaming himself awake at night. "How many more folks do you have to watch die? By you being too scared to do anything you are just as responsible as he is. Just as much of a coward."

At this accusation, Tatsuya averts his gaze back to the ground in shame. Even from this distance, Inuyasha can see his shoulders shaking.

"When are you going to be your own man? How much longer do yah' think you have before Khuzaimah turns on you too? Yah' really think you're going to last much longer like this? I don't know what your ma' is like, but I'm sure she wouldn't want to come back home to the corpse of her son—"

Before he can get out his next few words, the ryu snaps to attention like someone just hit him in the back of the head. The usual frenzied look is back in his eyes and he offers a hurried bow before dashing for the exit.

"Wait—!"

"P-Please forgive me Inuyasha-sama. P-Please do not hesitate to call on me if you r-require my assistance." And in a blink of an eye he throws himself of the ledge of the cliff and out of sight.

"Shimatta!" _'What now? He is running out of time.' _"Ugh!" Right on cue a sharp cramp brings him to his knees. He props himself against the wall and tries to rub slow soothing circles on his tummy. "Yeah, yeah I know. Calm down. Everything will be fine. We'll figure something out."

….

A few hours later, he is almost crippled by pain. He is laying in a nest made of leaves, twigs, and feathers with Tatsuya at his side. His contractions have reached excruciating levels and are barely a minute apart. The ryu at his side has been doing his best to ensure the hanyou's well-being. He has a cool rag on his forehead and there are basins of water and rags at the ready. However, for the last hour Tatsuya has not been able to do much besides try to keep him comfortable. Like Khuzaimah stated before, he has never let a beta male live long enough to bear young, so the boy does not know what to do. The stars cover the night sky and the small fire illuminates the cavern well enough for him to see the concern in the young boy's face, which does little to quell his own rising panic. "G-Gomenasai I-Inuyasha-sama, I-I do not k-know what to do."

To avoid crying out, he focuses only on his breathing and tries to ignore the frantic youth at his side. For now, he keeps his eyes screwed shut and does his best not to take out his frustrations on the one person trying to help him.

"M-My lord is close by. I can go f-find—"

"N—ngh! No! I, hah, don't need, hah, that son of a bitch here." _'In fact, that is the last thing I need. As soon as I have these pups, I'm going to find a way to take them to safety.'_

"B-But—"

"Do—ugh NOT, ngh call that fucking bastard."

"Who is this fucking bastard you're speaking of?"

Opening his eyes, he finds the last person he wants to see leering at him from the opening of the grotto. The smug look on his pale face is enough to drive him up a damn wall, but he settles for a heated glower instead.

"You could not possibly be referring to me, the great Khuzaimah-sama that way, could you?"

Tatsuya prostrates himself on the ground before the half-demon can dig himself an early grave. "N-No my lord! W-We would n-never—"

"Shut up." He interrupts with cool hiss before turning his grin back to his struggling prisoner. "So is my little bitch finally ready to give birth?"

"Go to hell!"

"Hm hmm. You never learn your lesson, do you? After _all _this time you insist on displaying this absurd level of insolence. And you wonder why I resort to violence. It is not what I prefer, believe it or not. You are simply the most problematic and unruly cur I have ever had the displeasure of taming. You think I enjoy having to punish you? Heh." The question hardly leaves his lips before he raises a hand to hide his chuckle.

"You're so full of—ugh, dammit." Another contraction almost takes his breath away. Khuzaimah watches the fair-haired male squirm in discomfort for a little while longer before making his approach. "Get—ah away."

He raises his scaled hand; brandishing his sharp claws as he flexes his fingers. "I think it is time we rip out these little monstrosities, don't you? I am sick of listening to you bitch and moan every day. As if you needed another reason to do so."

When he reaches out for him, Inuyasha slashes out as hard as he can muster and follows up with a warning growl when the dragon draws back in pain. "I'm warning you. Stay. Away."

Khuzaimah pauses and stares at his hand with an eerily blank expression. The Daihanyou actually managed to claw past his scales and he watches as the thick reptilian blood drips down his ivory skinned arm.

Tatsuya backtracks to the opposite side of the cavern as a dangerous silence settles over the cave dwellers. For too long a pause no one moves, and no one says anything. They can almost hear the drip-drip of the pure dragon's blood hitting the floor over Inuyasha's labored breathing.

"So," His hiss is barely louder than a whisper. "Your boldness has reached new heights. You dare spill my blood? Me—the great nephew of the ryu spirt, Ryukotsusei?"

"You call that spilling blood? Just wait till' I get out of here."

His demonic ruby orbs snap down to meet his defiant golden glare as he bares his teeth. "You filthy bitch. I will gut you like a fish and let the kamis decide if you ever see the light of day again."

"Don't you dare tou—"

"Shut your impudent mouth." In a too quick motion, he grabs the younger male's wrist before using his other hand to slash open his stomach.

For a moment everything feels like it is moving in slow motion. He does not feel any pain. His ears sound muffled. Khuzaimah's image is a fuzzy blur as he reaches down and inside of him. He is vaguely aware of him roughly rummaging through his guts, but he is so shocked he can hardly feel it. He can only hear and feel the frantic beats of his heart slamming against his rib cage.

And then a shrill cry pierces the fogginess. This cry is closely followed by another desperate wail.

Just like that his world comes rushing back in a whirlwind of chaos. He is not afforded the opportunity to see the whining pups because Khuzaimah quickly turns his back on him. Inuyasha can see him staring down at them as they cry and scream for their mother's comfort. '_I'm here. I'm right here_.' He reaches out a shaky blood-soaked hand, but Khuzaimah starts towards exit before he can call out for them.

Through the ringing in his ears, he can hear him sigh as he regards the howling newborns in his arms. "How utterly disappointing. It appears my superior bloodline was not enough to nullify the taint of your mother's. But what am I to expect?"

"Khu—" Blood is pooling in his mouth and threatening to choke him. His middle is on fire while the rest of his body feels so cold, but his focus is on none of that right now. _'Where is he taking them?' _"What—are you, ngh."

"It is a shame. The first time I allow a male to carry my offspring and I am rewarded with these worthless worms."

"Khuzaimah…" _'Why is he going to the edge of the cliff?"_

"Well if your bitch of a mother survives, we can always try again, hm? We will call you two the first failed experiments."

"KHUZAIMAH!" He almost does choke, but he spits out the coppery fluid before shouting through the pain. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Oh?" The dairyu stops at the very precipice of the mountain face before looking over his shoulder as if he forgot the hanyou existed. The smile that usually infuriates him, in this moment, makes his blood run cold. "Is it not obvious? I have no room in my kingdom for trash. And there is only one place I keep trash."

His heart drops to the floor as he holds the crying pair over the abyss. Inuyasha still cannot see them, but he can tell from their silhouettes that their father is holding them right over the lip of the surface. One wrong move and..._'No…' _"S-Stop! Khuzaimah don't you dare!"

"Are you trying to order _me _around?"

"Please…"

"Hmm, perhaps if you had been a good boy, I would have considered it. But I do not think you are in good enough standing with me to ask any favors."

"DON'T YOU DO IT! PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T! I'LL DO ANYTHING—"

"Oh, but this is far beyond you or me. I cannot go against destiny. Not even I am that divine."

"NO! DON'T—"

"Trash is trash."

"N—" The words catch in is his throat as he drops the terrified and confused younglings. Their cries fade into nothingness as they fall to the base of the mountain. He listens for them until once again there is silence.

"Shame." Khuzaimah hides a chuckle in his sleeve before glancing back again. "I suppose if you survive the night, I will see you once I return. Keep this moment in mind the next time you think about defying me." He spreads his raven colored wings before launching off and taking flight into the darkness.

'_What…what just happened…' _In a matter of seconds, the pups he carried for the last eight weeks are gone. _His_ pups. The ones he spent all day and all-night soothing, whispering promises, and protecting with everything he had…are gone. It does not feel real. He cannot fathom that he just laid there and watched the infanticide of his own children. He promised. He promised to protect them and now they are…

"I-Inuyasha sama, p-please lay back p-properly s-so I can treat your injuries." He stares at the boy suddenly at his side with wide, blurry eyes as he tries to position him to lay back down. When the hanyou resists his efforts, he gives him a pleading yet sympathetic look. "P-Please sir, I-I need to help you, or you will d-die—"

"Go check on them."

"S-Sir?"

"My children…go."

"B-But, sir, they are surely…a-and you—"

"P-Please." He stops to choke back the sobs threatening to tear apart his aching chest. "Please. Just check."

The youngster falters for a second longer before allowing his shoulders to slump in defeat. "I-I will be quick, s-so hold on Lord Inuyasha." The words do not register at all as he clenches his fists and watches the kid run off as quickly as his scrawny legs will carry him.

It is getting harder and harder to draw his next breath. He knows he should be in unimaginable pain, but his body is cold and numb. The edge of his vision is growing dark and he is trembling from head to toe. His entire being is compelling him to slip away, but he cannot. He has to know. _'It is possible. They bounced back after I tried to starve them out. They're strong. I know they are. They have to be. Those little heartbeats were so full of life and passion—are so full of life and passion. Please, to whatever Kami is listening, please let them be okay. I could not bear it otherwise. Just grant me this one prayer.' _

"L-Lord I-Inuyasha." He did not realize he closed his eyes until he opens them to find the ryu-child stitching and dressing the gash across his abdomen. "Y-You have to try and s-stay awake."

'_When did he? How long have I? It doesn't matter.' _"Wh…" His throat feels like it is trying to close up on him completely, but he swallows and tries again until he can finally croak out, "Where are they?"

"…" Tatsuya meets his glossy honey eyes and then quickly bows his head away from the vulnerable half-breed. "A-Ano…your, t-the i-infants…they did not—the fall was t-too great, I-I am sorry…"

He does not have to say anymore. He can feel his heart breaking in two. He cannot breathe. The room is spinning so violently, he wants to vomit. And yet, somehow when he speaks again it is with an uncanny calm. "And they were?"

"Huh?"

"Sons…or daughters?"

"…I-I think it was one b-boy and o-one girl." He murmurs as he works frantically to stabilize the hanyou's critical conditional.

"Inus…or?"

"I-I," Inuyasha can hear the somber quiver to his timid voice and knows it was probably a heart wrenching sight. "I could not tell. I'm sorry." He finally manages in a low whisper.

The lump in his throat stops him from saying anymore. He stares up at the rocky ceiling as his vision once again fades to black. _'I failed. It was my duty to protect them. And I failed…'_

….

**Author's Note: I know heavy stuff. Hope you guys appreciate that this update was much quicker than the last one. But I am still trying to get to a point of updating even sooner than this, but I have to learn how to balance my grad school life with my social life and my work life with my hobbies. It is still a work in progress. Anyway, please let me know your thoughts on this chapter. It is definitely probably the darkest one so far, and I am sure I did not help with many of you guys is who already hate Khuzaimah with a fiery passion haha. **

**Also, apologies if there were more errors in this chapter than any other. I used the dictate feature on Word for the first time, so there may be odd things my editing did not catch. **

**#Reviewolution **


	8. A Cry for Help

Sesshomaru's POV 

"Sesshomaru, do not pretend as though you do not see me standing here!" The demoness' reprimands fall on deaf ears as her son strides right past her. "Stop!"

The hostile Inuyoukai does just that but refuses to turn around and properly acknowledge his mother. Much like that time many months ago, he found her waiting for him as he roamed the western boarder of his ancestor's land. Only this time, she has brought two unknown youkais with her. From what he can tell from his brief inspection, the strangers appear to be wolf demons; one male and one female. Both of them look fresh out of adolescence and bear the unique tell-tale scent of hormones to prove it.

The Lady of the West knows her prodigy well enough to know he will not speak first, so she takes on the burden herself. "No doubt you are curious as to why I am here with these two wolves, are you not my beloved son?"

"…"

"They have come from the wolf-youkai tribe to the East. They are ready and willing to become yours for the sake of our bloodline. Their pack leader has expressed than he can see the advantages of crossing our lineage and has relented on this rare instance." _'Of course, he has.' _"These two come from high enough birth for our purposes; not the first or second born of the pack leader—but the third and fourth. The woman or man, it does not matter. Of course, if you choose the man the woman will simply serve as the carrier for any young. They have been trained to serve an alpha male and are both willing to bond themselves to you as pair if that is what you wish."

Again, the daiyoukai offers no comment, allowing a tense and thick silence to settle over them. He can smell the anxiety coming off the duo and is sure that it has taken ample training for them to ignore the instinct telling them to flee in his wake. To his mild interest, they do step forward to speak on their own behalf. "Lord Sesshomaru."

He spares a curious if bored glance over his shoulder, to find the male staring at him with tentative anticipation. He is the one who called out to him and when they make eye contact, he takes another step forward, with his sister's hand in a death grip. They bow their heads low before he speaks again. "We are prepared to follow your every command. Your happiness will always take precedent over ours." _'How annoying.' _

Seeing that his master has been mute up until this point, Jaken steps up to speak on his behalf. "Sesshomaru-sama has no need or room for the likes of—"

"Is that so?" Jaken startles into quietness when the taciturn lord speaks for the first time.

"Yes, mi'lord!" The young wolf-boy gives his sister an encouraging smile and she nods her head enthusiastically in agreement.

"Excellent. Battle for the right to hold the title of _This Sesshomaru's _mate."

"We—w-what?"

"Must I repeat myself? Battle and I will consider taking the victor as mine."

"U-Um, w-we," He looks to his sibling in dismay and finds her round brown eyes staring back at him in unmasked horror.

"Sesshomaru!" His mother clearly does not approve of his test, but it matters not to him.

"Just a moment ago you spoke of how ready and willing you are to cater to my every whim. And now you hesitate on my very first request?"

"I—mi'lord, please, this is my twin sister. We are very close, I-I could not, we could never—"

"I see. How disappointing."

"Mi'lord, could we not prove our loyalty some other way? We will do anything else. Anything!"

"You have made your choice and I have made mine. Never appear before me again." With that final declaration his booted feet leave the ground as he floats into the air, prompting Jaken to latch onto his mokomoko.

"Sesshomaru you brazen fool—" His mothers' cries die on the wind as he soars through the sky in a ball of bright white light. A mocking sneer threatens to darken his features, but he manages to maintain a practiced cool. It is not often he is able to walk away from a confrontation with okaasan with her as the one riled up instead of him.

"I don't know what your mother is thinking; bringing those mangy mutts in your presence. Does she not know that no one could ever be good enough for Lord Sesshomaru?"

'_He is not wrong. I thought I made it blatantly clear that I have no interest in such trivial matters. If she continues this way, I will have to put her in her place.' _His mother's attempts would be humorous if they were not so infuriating. The reason he has not mated anyone has nothing to do with a lack of suitors. Over the hundreds of years, there have been plenty of potential lovers who have thrown themselves at him. Whenever he deemed any of them half-decent enough and had the carnal urge to satiate his lusts, he would gratify himself and move on. He made sure that no conception was possible and never saw any of his conquests ever again. He has no need and he will never have a need to be burdened by familial relations.

"Lord Sesshomaru, if your mother has ruined your mood may I recommend paying Rin a visit? It has been a long time and I am sure the stupid girl is thinking we must have forgotten about her by now." Although the toad demon sounds flippant in his remarks regarding the girl, it is obvious that he is a little concerned about their old traveling companion. It is true that is has been many moons since he last saw the bright-eyed girl; not since she told him about Inuyasha's disappearance. There is a part of him that is aware that his reluctance has something to do with his younger brother's unknown whereabouts. He would never admit it, but he has been avoiding the human village because he does not want to fall victim to their incessant pleas for help. Since meeting Khuzaimah and affirming the ryu's inferiority, the daiyoukai pushed him and his hanyou outoto out of his mind entirely. Visiting Rin now would bring those superfluous thoughts back to the surface. But…surely, by now, Inuyasha has taken care of that slippery reptile and is back home, right? It has been long enough. Inuyasha may not be as capable as him, but he is surely enough for that ryu. With that assumption in mind, he changes course for the little rice field village. _'I will probably find the fool lazing around as though he never left and boasting about defeating the nephew of Ryukotsusei.' _"Hmpt."

"Aaaah!" Jaken latches on for dear life as he speeds to their destination.

….

Inuyasha's POV

As the seconds tick by, his body grows dead with cold. The cavern is bleak and dreary besides the sun shining brilliantly in the clear blue sky. The grotto is unnaturally quiet save for the droplets melting off of the icicles and the slow in and out of his steady breathing. He has been sitting with his back against the rock wall for many hours…or maybe it has been a couple of days by now. He does not know. The Inuhanyou has been sitting motionless the entire time; simply blinking and breathing. After Tatsuya dressed and stitched his gaping stomach, he recovered enough to make it through that dreadful night. However, he is so ill he can hardly move. Not that he has tried really. He has not been able to muster the will, motivation, or strength to do anything at all. Even with Khuzaimah not being present, he has made no plans to escape. His mind has been just as numb as his body. He is no longer waiting for anything. No longer caring.

He remains unblinking and unfeeling when someone drapes a worn blanket over his wounded body. Tatsuya meanders in and out of his field of vision as he works tirelessly to warm up the freezing cavern. After some time, Inuyasha hears the cackle of a nearby fire; proving his efforts were successful. However, the warmth does little to alleviate the iciness around his dead heart or the paralyzing detachment overwhelming his body. Time blurs the line of meaningless reality before his mind snaps back to attention from Tatsuya shaking his shoulder. "Inuyasha-sama, here please h-have some w-water."

"…"

Tatsuya falters before cautiously bringing the cup to his chapped lips. When the comatose-like male makes no move to drink, he tilts the cup, but the water ends up dribbling down his chin to soak the thin blanket covering his body. "P-Please drink it. Y-You are n-not doing well I-Inuyasha-sama."

"So what?"

The child looks shocked that he received a response at all. "Y-Your health is getting w-worse with each passing m-moment."

"So. What?"

"I-If you do not get s-serious about getting better, y-you will not survive."

'_So be it.' _He cannot see the fledging's blemished face since he is staring blankly ahead, but he can feel the fear and anxiety coming off of him. He does not care about his concerns. So what if he slips away? So what if he perishes in this forsaken cave? He could not keep his children from meeting the same fate. It is his fault they lay dead in a makeshift grave at the foot of this infernal mountain. He broke his promise to protect them. Even his own parents were at least able to give him a chance at this world. _'Why didn't I do more? Why didn't I just use my head?! Why, for even one second, did I believe that bastard wouldn't do anything to hurt his own children?! I could have had Tatsuya cut them out and take them somewhere safe before Khuzaimah came back—who cares what could have happened to me! But no, I wanted to escape with them; I wanted to be with them. I was thinking of my own desires above all else. And because of my selfishness and stupidity, they will never see the light of day. No matter what hardships I endured, my parents gave me a chance at life. I couldn't even do the same for my own.'_

The rush of emotion after sitting numbly for so long proves to be too much for the fair-haired Inuyoukai to handle. The dragon beside him starts in shock when he suddenly turns around to face the wall before laying onto his side. He curls into himself and wraps his arms around his knees as his heart aches in his chest. Tatsuya reaches out a hand towards him, but right as he is about to touch him, Inuyasha barks, "Stop! Just…" He has to swallow the sob caught in his throat. "Leave me alone."

"…Yes, sir."

….

He does not recall falling asleep, but he awakes to the sound of two very familiar voices.

"And why should _I _care?"

"Ah, a-ano I-Inuyasha-sama r-really is not d-doing well. H-He is v-very unwell and is too…h-he will n-not eat or drink anything." Even without turning around to look, Inuyasha can tell the kid likely has his face pressed to the ground in a low bow.

"Hmm. I still do not see how this is any of my concern. If the half-breed has given up and outlived his usefulness, then so be it. Since I have completely cleaned out the lower roosts, I need new playthings anyway. I am working on it as we speak. If that cur does not survive long enough to bear me better offspring then, heh, oh well."

"B-B-But—"

"And frankly, your insipid attachment to that dog is starting to make me sick."

"I—"

"Shut your mouth." His footsteps bounce off the walls until Inuyasha can feel his presence right behind him. "And _you_. How long do you intend to pine around like some brooding brat?"

"…"

"I know you are a pathetic worm but pull it together son of _Inu no Taisho_."

"…"

"Oh? You think you can ignore me? Lord Khuzaimah?!"

"Let's see how long you can keep up this attitude." The wind is knocked out of him as he uses his foot to roll the hanyou over. Inuyasha stares up at him in blank faced stillness as he begins to discard his intricate clothing. His golden gaze drifts to the rocky ceiling above as the dragon lord straddles his lithe waist. "You are looking rather thin, hmm?" He does not respond to his comment as he uses his clawed hand to caress his sullen cheek. "Have you given up then? I thought you could not be broken?"

"…"

"Hmpt. Pathetic. The only value you had was that you were somewhat entertaining and now you do not even have that. There is no reason to keep you'."

"…"

"Fine." His blood red eyes take on a menacing spark as he positions himself in between his legs. "I know one way to get a bitch like you to whine."

"M-My lord, i-it could b-be fatal for I-Inuyasha-sama i-if you are t-too rough."

"Tatsuya spout more useless nonsense and I will kill you."

"U-Uh, um I—"

"Now leave us…unless you want to stay for the show." Although Inuyasha keeps his eyes on the ceiling he can feel the way the young fledging hesitates before scurrying out of the cave. Almost immediately the ryu buries himself deep inside the lifeless male underneath him. Besides a subtle flinch, his disposition shows no sign of his discomfort. He can feel the hard body moving on top of him. The piercing feeling below his waist. The rocks digging into his back. The claws bruising and cutting his already damaged flesh. He feels them all, but at the same time nothing at all.

He noticed that the shiny rocks in the ceiling resemble stars in the night sky. Instead of thinking, he decides to count. _'137, 138, 139…'_

Just count the stars.

'…_442, 443, 444…'_

Count the stars.

'_877, 878, 879…'_

Count the stars and everything will be alright…

….

Sesshomaru's POV

"And reishi and shiitake are mushrooms that can be used to make medicines! Isn't that great? Uuuh, I think that is everything I learned this time."

"Thank goodness! I thought there was no end to your senseless rambling!"

"It is not senseless Master Jaken. When I travel with you and Lord Sesshomaru, I can take care of you when you get sick."

"Silly girl, I don't get sick!"

"You might~" She practically sings much to the toad's disdain.

"I won't! Only humans fall ill at every turn."

"You never know~. Something could happen and silly little Rin could be the one to save you."

"Now listen here you arrogant little…"

The rest of their idle bickering fades to the background as Sesshomaru turns his attention to the flurry of activity. Since he arrived at the humble human village, many of the village men have been leaving in small droves. The three to four-man units are led by the monk, fox demon, and Kohaku. His keen sense of hearing already picked up on their instructions and he knows they are still looking for Inuyasha. His pack completely avoided him, so he can only presume the taijiya informed them of the daiyoukai's unwillingness to lift a finger to aid. He was genuinely staggered to find that his little brother has not found his way home, but he quickly recovered and settled into his natural air of indifference. He is there to visit his charge, nothing more. Now as their time is ending, he cannot help but pay some attention to the frantic mortals moving around him. Judging by the structure of the chaos, it looks as though the men have done this numerous times and are simply rushing to utilize the last couple hours of daylight.

"Rin, where are ye', child?"

"Over here Miss Kaede!"

After a pause, the old eye-patched miko walks into a view with a small, but tired smile. Sesshomaru can sense the worry and stress coming from her, but she hides it well in the face of the exuberant young girl. "Are ye' ready for yer' afternoon lessons?"

"Umm." She looks around frantically, as if an excuse is suddenly going to leap out and save her. "But Miss Kaede, I'm still visiting with Lord Sesshomaru—"

"Our time is done." The Western lord punctuates his point by gracefully rising to his feet; earning a pout from the puppy-eyed girl. "Rin you should not miss your lessons."

"Aaaaw."

"No whining now." The miko chastises, making her bow her head in defeat.

"Can we visit the girls first?"

"Nice try young one, but Sango has already laid them down for a nap."

"Aaaaaaaw."

"If you slack off, you will not be able to tell me anything new the next time we meet." Sesshomaru interjects in an offhanded way.

The effects are instant, and the girl brightens and hops to her feet with renewed enthusiasm. "Miss Kaede, I'm ready to learn lots!"

"Good. If ye' remain focused this time, we can have our morning lesson in the flower fields."

"Yatta! Sesshomaru-sama, Master Jaken thank you for coming to see me. Come back and see Rin soon!"

"Don't count on it." Jaken snaps, but she ignores him and skips off towards her teacher's home. Kaede offers a small nod of gratitude and follows behind her energetic pupil at a much more lethargic pace. "Hmpt. Troublesome little—?!" Sesshomaru looks down as Jaken suddenly slaps the side of his bald head in alarm. Looking at his hand, they find a flattened flea groaning in pain. "Eh?! How dare you!"

Myoga pops back into form and dusts himself off before glaring back at the larger demon. "Don't flatter yourself. I was aiming for Lord Sesshomaru."

"That's even more foolhardy of you. No one is worthy of Lord Sesshomaru's blood."

"Without Master Inuyasha around, it was the next best thing despite the risks."

There is a brief pause as those words register with him before he starts sputtering in disbelief. "Are you suggesting that hanyou's blood is superior to—"

"You do not appear overly concerned about it. Why not join the search, if you are so thirsty?" Sesshomaru questions with the barest hint of curiosity in his blunt tone.

"W-Well," The ancient flea stutters before passing a hand over his mostly bald head. "I wouldn't be of any use to anybody right now. What if we were to run into a dangerous situation in our search?"

"Hmpt."

"And besides, I have been doing all I can on my own by learning more about this _Khuzaimah-sama._"

Sesshomaru notices the peculiar way he says the dragon's name and once again curiosity gets the best of him. "And?"

A slight raise of his eyebrows is the only indication of his surprise, but he quickly clears his throat and reports his findings. "Well it has taken a lot of traveling, searching, and contacting old acquaintances but I hear talk that Khuzaimah may not actually be a lord of anything."

"Ha! Serves him right!" Jaken scoffs.

"Nevertheless, I am not sure. The demons I spoke to claimed he has kidnapped many others who have never been heard from again. The nomadic humans who were willing to speak to me told me that Khuzaimah pillaged their villages to kill and steal from their nobles. If he is pretending to be a lord then it would make sense for him to do that, so he can play the part. But I do not understand his senseless attacks on youkai. I could not find a pattern to his madness either. In his wake, he has left nothing but death, sadness, and turmoil—for both humans and demons."

"…"

"I tried to find Totosai to see if he knew anything of Khuzaimah's origins, but he was not at his home. There is no telling where that unpredictable old coot could be, so I came back here to wait."

'_Just what is this ryu playing at? When I met him, he made no move to challenge me and yet he has caused all this devastation? For what purpose and to what end? Was the goal to capture Inuyasha? Why? He definitely had his scent all over him, so the fool is—or was alive. Why has he not gotten himself out of this yet? If this Khuzaimah is attacking both demon and human dwellings, how much longer until he advances on this one where Rin resides? Since Inuyasha has obviously not taken care of things, it would fall on these humans to protect her in his absence.' _In the face of all these doubts and questions, he can feel a scowl creeping over refined brow. His face contorts into a full glower as he glances over his shoulder and towards the forest.

"Is there something the matter, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"…Jaken. Stay here."

"Yes my—wait, what?!"

"If something happens to Rin, I will kill you."

"Eh?! B-B—"

Without bothering to hear the rest, he turns his back and vanishes into the woods. He walks steadily for a few minutes before coming to a full stop in the middle of a small clearing. The sun is just starting to set, casting an orangey glow all over the trees and bushes. The woodland creatures scurry to and fro to settle in for the night, while the nocturnal ones prepare for the coming night. A warm breeze sets a few strands of silvery white hair dancing across his face and his mokomoko rustling gently. He stands there for a while, eyes closed, and completely still. All at once his golden eyes snap open to reveal a dangerous glint to them. "Come out. Now."

A harsher wind sweeps through the area with the subtle flair of his aura, causing the rustle of foliage to break the following silence. After just a beat, a small young whelp steps out from the bushes and stands a few paces behind him; it what he probably presumes as a "safe distance". Sesshomaru remains facing forward but can smell the unbridled fear coming off the boy. It is pungent enough to make his nose twitch. He noticed his presence long ago when he first arrived to visit Rin. He could sense him hiding out in the outskirts and as soon as he left the boy proceeded to follow him from a distance. "Explain."

He makes a sound that resembles someone chocking on their own tongue, before finally whispering. "P-P-Please forgive m-me."

"Do not test my patience. Tell me why you were lurking outside that village and why you were tracking me or die. Simple. So, choose."

"I-I-I was n-not t-trying to be a t-threat—I, I went to the village in s-search for aid. When I-I saw you, mi'lord, I—" Sesshomaru's eyes narrow into annoyed slits when the child pauses to gulp down his fears, "And I-I, ano, I thought maybe I-I should a-ask for your help instead."

He does not know what he was expecting the young whelp to say, but it certainly was not that.

"I-It is f-for I-Inuyasha-sama's sake." _'So he is still alive.'_

"Inuyasha sent you to find me?"

"N-No. B-But, y-you are his oniisama, r-right? H-He really n-needs your help. I-I f-fear he will not survive a-another day."

"…Does _this _Sesshomaru look like an idiot to you? Unlike my foolish little brother, I am not susceptible to tricks."

"T-This is n-not a—"

"Nor do I posses any desire to help those who grovel at my feet. I do not know what I did to make you think _I _would run and go save _Inuyasha _to begin with."

"B-But, h-he will die—"

"Why didn't you ask those humans, as you so-called originally planned?"

"They…a-are not s-strong enough to survive an encounter with m-my master. Inuyasha-sama w-would never f-forgive me if I-I led them to t-their doom."

His rationale only serves to make him more suspicious. "And you believe me capable of defeating this high and mighty lord, you so highly revere?"

"N…" Perhaps realizing he should choose his next words very carefully; the youngster wavers before whispering. "K-Khuzaimah-sama has b-been leaving a lot o-on business. Y-You can go in a-and free Inuyasha-sama t-then escape, before m-my master returns—"

"Impossible."

"Ano—"

"If I venture to that mountain, it will be to slay that dragon." For the first time, he spares a glance over his shoulder to find the boy staring at him with wide jade eyes and trembling legs. "Think about that before asking for my help again." With that he walks away with a specific destination in mind. Unexpectedly, after almost making it out of sight, the ryu begins to follow him again. He decides to ignore the unsolicited tag along for now, seeing as his mind is elsewhere for the moment. There is someone he must talk to. _'I need answers.' _

**Author's Note: Thank you for reading. I apologize if this chapter feels like a filler, but it is very important for setting up the following events. Let me know how you felt about it. Also, I am so frustrated with myself! I set a goal to update this story twice a month and I missed my deadline by just one day! Grr. Here's hoping I do better this month. Leave some encouragement #Reviewolution. **


	9. Khuzaimah's Demise

Sesshomaru's POV

Bokusenso; the tree demon. He is the only one of his father's previous vassals whom Sesshomaru holds in any esteem. Totosai and Myoga have proven to be utterly useless over the centuries. If he can count on anyone to provide him with the answers, he seeks it is him. So, it is with a calm confidence and expectant demeanor that he stands before the older youkai. Not too far behind, his uninvited dragon tag along is hiding behind some foliage. For now, it is of little consequence and he turns his full attention to the waking demon.

"Ah Sesshomaru. It has been quite some time since you have sought me out."

"Indeed, it has," In an always rare instance, the daiyoukai drops his haughty attitude when speaking to the respected elder. "I am here because I need some questions answered."

"I will provide you with answers to the best of my knowledge."

"Are you aware that my foolish little brother has managed to get himself captured?"

"Inuyasha has been captured?" The tree does not sound so much concerned as he is incredulous that anyone could manage to do so. "No. I was not aware."

"Yes. By someone who goes by the name of 'Lord Khuzaimah'."

"Khuzaimah?"

"The nephew of Ryukotsusei."

"What? Is that audacious fledging still making that claim?"

"What do you mean?"

"Khuzaimah has been claiming to be a descendant of Ryukotsusei since the great dragon was sealed by your father. However, it is a false claim."

Sesshomaru's fine brows dip down slightly in a bothered frown. "And for what purpose? Tell me of this Khuzaimah's origins."

The youkai hums in quiet contemplation before speaking again, "As far as I can recall Khuzaimah's entire roost was slain by Ryukotsusei when he was merely more than a whelp. His sister pleaded for their lives and, although grudgingly, Ryukotsusei heeded her pleas and spared their lives."

"And you are certain that he is of no relation to Ryukotsusei?"

"Yes. Ryukotsusei had no siblings whatsoever, and no living relatives for that matter. Stories tell that he took the older sister as a concubine and she carried the proof of their love in her belly. She laid his egg right before he was sealed, but I hear the egg did not hatch for several years afterwards. I believed it all hearsay, however…" Sesshomaru follows the elder's gaze over his shoulder to the huge reptilian eyes staring at them in wonder. Upon being visually acknowledged Tatsuya scrambles from behind his hiding spot and prostrates himself on the ground in a low bow. _'He cannot be implying that this scrawny little slave could be the results of that affair?' _"Of course, this is all speculation." The tree clarifies, perhaps sensing the young lord's bemusement. "I cannot be sure."

"I do not understand. What is the connection between Ryukotsusei taking them in all those years ago to Khuzaimah falsifying lordship and taking special interest in Inuyasha?"

The tree quiets for a moment; deep in thought before sagely nodding his head. "By all accounts Ryukotsusei was cruel to them. He especially treated the boy poorly, even by youkai standards. He was meant to train the young ryu by taking him under his wing but instead he put him through unimaginable torture. Ryukotsusei used every perceived offense, no matter how slight, to cruelly punish him. Khuzaimah tried in vain to catch up to Ryukotsusei's greatness to one day bring retribution to his master for all his suffering. Then the battle with your Otosama happened which sealed the great dragon spirit."

"And so, he decided to fake a relation to Ryukotsusei and play the part of a lord? A man he seemingly detests?" The more the western lord learns, the more questions he has. _'What is the connection to Inuyasha?' _

"It does not surprise me. Khuzaimah was and, most likely still is, an insecure youth. He wanted so badly to surpass Ryukotsusei but as the fates has it—he had no such talent. This is not to mean he is to be taken lightly. No matter how hellish and sadistic his late master was; he was trained by the renowned dragon spirit. Most notably he does possess a peculiar aptitude for creating barriers. It is likely the very reason Ryukotsusei always stopped short of killing the fledging…I do have an idea as to why Khuzaimah would be after young Inuyasha. Khuzaimah wanted to take revenge on Ryukotsusei and your Otosama ruined those plans. He then set sights on your father. Toga took pity on the dragon, perhaps knowing what he endured under Ryukotsusei and he refused to end the boy's life in a battle he absolutely could not win. Once your father passed, Khuzaimah disappeared and was assumed dead. As you know, Naraku unsealed Ryukotsusei and Inuyasha defeated him once and for all; leaving Inuyasha—"

"As the only one left to enact his revenge." Sesshomaru finishes with a deeper frown set on his dour face.

"Precisely."

"…" '_What a senseless and foolish ploy. To dedicate one's entire existence to trivial vengeance…He should not have been so weak. How pathetic. And to go after Inuyasha in such a conniving, underhanded manner…disgraceful. If he wanted vengeance so badly, he could have challenged him properly. This Khuzaimah is a coward.' _There is little that Sesshomaru loathes more. _'He could have easily come after me when my father refused him a fight. If he thought himself strong enough to face my otosan then he should have forced his hand by attacking his only son. Or even his human lover. Father's compassion would have waned all at once then.' _"Tch."

"What are you going to do now Sesshomaru?"

'_Something's still not making sense. If Khuzaimah's whole purpose is to get revenge on Ryukotsusei then why…' _His gaze drifts back to the child who has not moved a muscle since sticking himself firmly to the forest floor. "Thank you for your assistance." He offers to the tree demon before promptly walking off.

Predictively, the little whelp follows and Sesshomaru allows it; ignoring him entirely until they near the forest outskirts, just out of bounds of Khuzaimah's barrier. He eyes the terrain passively for some time before turning around to stare at the dragon trailing not too far behind. The child startles at the sudden attention and once again drops to the ground in a submissive bow. He quakes in obvious terror; waiting for the daiyoukai to acknowledge him. "Who is your father?"

The ryu looks up at him in bewilderment, but swiftly bows his head to deliver his answer to the dirt. "I-I-I do not k-know, my lord. I-I'm sorry, m-my lord."

"How are you connected to Khuzaimah?"

"I-I am Lord K-Khuzaimah's humble and l-loyal—"

"Is there a blood relation?" Sesshomaru's cool question cuts through his stammers in an instant.

"H-Hai. Khuzaimah-sama is m-my ojisama. M-My lord does n-not approve of m-me addressing him as such."

'_His uncle…Bokusenso is likely right then; this weakling is the son of Ryukotsusei. Why would Khuzaimah not use this child as the outlet for his scorn? Is it out of consideration of his sister? From what I have been told; he does not seem the type. Is his sister involved in Inuyasha's disappearance?' _

"I-If I-I may, my lord?"

"What is it?"

"Have y-you c-changed your mind about r-rescuing I-Inuyasha-sama?"

"Have you forgotten my words? If I cross this boundary, it will be to slay your master. Are you prepared to bare witness to the death of your uncle?"

The boy does not answer immediately, but after swallowing his doubts he whispers. "My master is n-not h-here right n-now. I-Inuyasha-sama may n-not be a-able to l-last much longer. T-There is n-no time to w-wait to challenge my master." _'Oh? So he thinks I am no match for his master? He wants me to grab Inuyasha and flee. Heh. Fool.' _

"Am I simply to trust that you are so willing and ready to betray your master. How am I to know you are not leading me into a trap with an army waiting to ambush me?" _'Not that it would matter.' _"Why now? Inuyasha has been held captive for many full moons."

"…There is no one left to attack you." The sentence was whispered so softly that even Sesshomaru's superhuman hearing almost missed it. "Master…culled…k-killed everyone. H-He is looking for new p-playthings. L-Lord I-Inuyasha's condition is dire. He w-will die soon, and t-then there will be no one left…I-I had to do something. Inuyasha-sama once told me, by my simple act of c-cowardice I-I am just as r-responsible for all those deaths." His sentence ends in a waver and although his face is hidden, Sesshomaru can smell the unique saltiness of tears.

"This Sesshomaru is to be held accountable for your faults? Because you are too much of a coward, too weak, too useless? Is that what Inuyasha told you to do? Fawn at the feet of those more powerful as you hide and hope for the best? I doubt it."

"I-I…I-I'm…" All he can do is hang his head in shame while fighting back the tears pooling in his reptilian eyes.

He says nothing as he turns around and stalks steadily towards the barrier. Without even a natural hesitation, he continues to walk until he meets with the barrier's powerful resistance. Electric shocks pepper his body as his hair and mokomoko fly back from impact. The sparks manifest in the air with growing intensity the more he pushes through and his brow furrows with the effort it takes to keep moving.

"M-My lord! Y-You cannot—" Tatsuya tries to warn him over the onslaught of wind and overwhelming demonic aura but is left speechless when the Inuyoukai suddenly breaks through and crosses the boundary. The obstruction dissolves before their eyes, dispelling the unnaturalness around them. "A-Amazing…"

A frown tugs at the corner of his mouth as he feels the full force of his actions. His body feels weakened. Some of his power has been sapped away. _'It is not possible for a demon to create a holy barrier so why…his demonic aura should be no match for mine. This must be the prowess Bokusenso advised of.' _"Where is Inuyasha?"

"L-Lord Inuyasha i-is at the very top."

He cast his scrutinizing gaze at the summit. Night has long since captured the sky but now that he has broken through the fog, he can see the environment clearly. The area is much larger that he originally thought. A couple of smaller hills surround the monument forming a cluster and forming a valley below.

"I-I can s-show you the way."

Despite the drain on his power, he ignores the kid and envelopes himself in an orb of white light. To the untrained eye he is nothing but a streak of light cutting through the darkness and in mere seconds he is hovering in line with the mountain peak. He analytic eyes scan the rocks but he sees nothing but unassuming crags. _'This barrier is stronger than the last.' _His superior sense almost missed it entirely. It may actually prove problematic to brute force his way through it. A notion that does not sit well with the prideful Inu and he hangs there; glowering at it petulantly. Soon enough he spots the nimble child scrambling up the side.

"M-My lord—"

"Where exactly is he?"

"I-Inuyasha-sama is d-directly in f-front of you. A-Another barrier is keeping you from s-seeing him. O-Only I can c-cross it and I-I have n-no way of a-allowing you access. F-Forgive me."

"…"

"I-I can go in and t-try and convince Lord I-Inuyasha to f-follow me out." _'Try and convince?' _"B-But K-Khuzaimah-sama m-made it more difficult to l-leave after lord Inuyasha almost e-escaped before. H-He will n-not s-survive what you just did in his c-current state."

"…"

The boy lowers his head hopelessly in the face of his cold silence. "I-I do n-not know w-what to do anymore—"

His large eyes grow in awe as the daiyoukai draws his sword in one swift motion. The emerald glow of bakusaiga rivals the moonlight and paints the surrounding gloom an ominous green. With a single, elegant swing he lets loose a blast of energy at the shield protecting the summit. The swing is not as powerful as his yoki wave, but it still causes a definite crack in the barrier. Although it would be easier to unleash his yoki wave, he has no way of knowing Inuyasha's exact location. If he were to get caught up in that devastating attack, it would make his current efforts pointless. So it is with begrudging impatience that he swings away at the barrier; slowly eroding at its' impressive fortitude. In his mind he concludes that the only reason he is exerting himself is due to being drained by the first obstacle. Nevertheless, he succeeds with one final swing which shatters the demonic blockade. Light momentarily blinds them as shinning powder rains down around them. Squinting past the fluster, he spies a flat surface leading into a dark alcove. As he touches down on the mountain face, he sheathes his sword and makes his way inside where he presumes his outoto is being held.

The sight he is met with stops him dead in his tracks. At first, he could not pinpoint exactly where his brother was until his honeyed eyes fell on a small bundle huddled up on the far side. He almost mistook him for a dirty pile of rags. The fire burning in the center of the bleak cavern casts a wall of light on his naked back; granting Sesshomaru a clear view of his mangled torso. It is a sick crisscrossing pattern of deep clawing that bares the tell-tale disfigurement of a wound constantly being reopened. The parts of him not grotesquely slashed open is peppered in black and blue bruises. One of his puppy ears is so injured that it lies motionless against his skull; staining part of his filthy gray hair scarlet. Sesshomaru can only see his back from this angle, but his nose tells him all he needs to know. The smell of blood, vomit, and semen is pungent enough to turn his stomach and evoke a physical reaction from him. He shields his sensitive nose and gaped mouth with the back of his hand, but he cannot tear his gaze away from the trembling form curled into the wall. He stands there frozen and for the first time in his life, his tactical mind fails him and blanks. He does not know what to make of this. Clearly, it must be some kind of illusion created by Khuzaimah's influence. This maimed captive cannot truly be his brother.

He does not have long to indulge in such denial, because the young whelp darts inside and straight to the hanyou's side. Although his cherubic face is scrunched in worry, he does not look at all stunned by Inuyasha's condition. Sesshomaru hangs back as the child takes gentle hold of his lithe shoulders and cautiously rolls him onto his back. The sight of Inuyasha's sullen cheeks, busted lips, and bruised jaw sends an unpleasant chill down his spine. He resembles a corpse and he would think him dead if his demonic hearing could not pick up on his heartbeat and slow breaths.

"I-Inuyasha-sama?" Tatsuya supports his head and gives him a gentle shake when he does not respond right away. For a second Sesshomaru thinks the worst, but suddenly his eye lashes dance across his pale face. The look in his murk-gold eyes is vacant and unlike any expression the daiyoukai has ever seen on the younger Inu. "Your o-onisama is here." Inuyasha scowls up at the boy in reasonable confusion, so Sesshomaru takes it as his cue to step forward.

It is with great effort that he keeps his expression neutral as he steps beside the duo and stares down at his younger brother. _'He looks…fragile.' _Over the countless years they have clashed, he has devised many terms when referring to his outoto, but he never thought he would ever think of him as fragile. Weaker than him? Sure. Brash? Definitely. Idiotic? Without a doubt. But never fragile. _'There is no fire in his eyes. No life. How did Khuzaimah achieve the impossible?' _His nose combined with his appearance is enough of an answer to that question, but he cannot stand to contemplate that notion right now."Inuyasha."

"How…Sesshomaru…?"

'_There is only one thing I need to know.' _"Is Khuzaimah the sole person responsible for your current state?"

He turns his head away to face the wall once more. His lip trembles before he murmurs, in a voice full of shame, a simple broken. "Yes…"

"P-Please my lords," Tatsuya cuts in, voice overflowing with panic. Perhaps in response to the Western Lord's sudden flare of youkai. "M-Master w-will have sensed the disruption and is l-likely rushing b-back here. Y-You have to f-flee before then."

'_Impossible. This fool must pay. What he has done is unforgivable—inexcusable. I have never come across an enemy who would stoop so low. This level of cowardice deserves nothing less than death.' _He looks down at his brother once again to find him struggling to remain conscious. Their eyes meet briefly before his half-lidded stare looks past him to the night sky. The stars reflect off his golden orbs and they become shiny with unshed tears. He is staring so intently…like he has not seen the sky for some time; like he has not seen the stars.

A sharp whistle draws his attention to the sky as well and a gust of wind and demonic aura soon follows the grating noise. The very dragon he crossed paths with in the forests two months ago soars into view. He flies and hovers just close enough to glower daggers at the Inuyoukai encroaching on this territory; his velvety black wings beating mightily. _**"You." **_His blood red eyes flash dangerously in the pale moonlight, but Sesshomaru is not fooled. The dragon was very intentional about remaining in the air. He likely knows that the protection he put around his domain weakened the powerful daiyoukai and he is the one at an advantage. An aerial assault would require the intruder to expend extra energy. "How dare you?! You lowly, uncultured dog! You think you can barge into my nest and do as you please?!"

"Who is going to stop me? You?"

"I AM LORD KHUZAIMAH," He snarls through clenched teeth. "DON'T YOU DARE—"

"Yes. I have come to know all about the story behind your _lordship_." Judging by the way he pales, Sesshomaru can assume that at least part of what Bokusenso told him is true.

"I shall not stand for this impudence! Your line of filth has disrespected me for the last—"

Before he can utter those final words, Sesshomaru launches into the air, while drawing his sword in one fluid motion. Khuzaimah reacts just as quickly and pulls his own sword in time to block the incoming attack. They remain suspended in the air, swords locked, and demonic aura flaring. The ryu's scaled face is contorted in rage and fear which is in direct juxtaposition to the Inuyoukai who is the picture of calm indifference. _'Hn. Not bad, however—' _Although they are locked evenly without either gaining the upper hand, Sesshomaru can see the other's arms shaking with the effort. "As Bokusenso stated; you are not anything special. Ryukotsusei's bane was understandable."

"You—!" Sesshomaru is blown back with a powerful flap of his wings, but rights himself in time to doge his follow-up swing. "You know NOTHING! You are just as INSOLENT as your father and just as PATHETIC as your half-breed brother!"

For a while he lets the mediocre dairyu work himself up into a frenzy; nonchalantly avoiding and blocking his impassioned but obvious swings. To the untrained eye, the daiyoukais are nothing but blurs in the night sky. The forceful blows of their constant collisions shake the very Earth and sounds like thunderclaps in the night.

The longer their battle rages on, the angrier Sesshomaru becomes. _'How did he get the better of Inuyasha? He must have relied on some kind of trickery. He may be able to outwit Inuyasha, but there is no way this desperate weakling could ever overtake that idiot in a fight. To think he is really the one responsible for Inuyasha's current condition is…' _"Tch. Enough!" Having learned what he needed, Sesshomaru forces him back with one hard push of his sword.

"Ugh!" As usual, his wings keep him balanced and from barreling out of the air. "You—you bastard dog!"

"I am not the bastard here."

"Damn you!" The mountain lord looks to be at the end of his rope. All pretense of maintaining composure is gone. His razor-like teeth are gritted together, and his olive locks are swirling around his haggard face. Beyond his rage, Sesshomaru can see the anguish in his red eyes. He probably figured out a long time ago that he is fighting a losing battle. "If your father was not such a foolhardy coward, I would have rid of him myself and you would not be leering at me so smugly."

His glare intensifies at the mention of his father again and his sword glows green once more. With a sweep of his arm, he launches his yoki-wave, bathing the surrounding blackness in luminescent green. When the dust settles, he finds the dragon hovering in the air with his sword held in a defensive position in front of his body; entirely unscathed. _'What?!' _There is no way Khuzaimah should be able to survive the decomposing nature of his yoki-wave. He is covered in sweat and his sword trembles in his weak grip, but he is uninjured. _'How…' _Breaking the barrier did weaken him, but there was still more than enough power in that to reduce the other to ash.

"Hah, hah surprised? Thought you knew everything, hah. The smaller my barriers, the more, hah resistant they are."

'_Was he actually able to put up one so quickly? And one powerful enough to stop bakusaiga?' _"And just how long do you think you can keep up such a spineless defense?"

"Hmpt. Longer than you can keep up those flashy moves." He hisses; flashing him a knowing grin.

"…" '_So be it.' _Once again, he closes the space between them in a blink of an eye. Khuzaimah meets him head on and they are once again locked in sword on sword combat.

"Is that, hah, it then? You're just going to, hah, swing that thing around and hope to gain the upper hand?" Such impudent questions are beneath him and so he continues his relentless assault. Much like when he chipped away at the barrier surrounding the peak, eventually a crack forms on the one around the fictitious lord. His eyes widen with the realization of what is happening, and he quickly tries to back off. "Get away!" When Sesshomaru pursues him, he tries to outmaneuver him, but despite the aerial advantage the daiyoukai shatters the barrier with one final swing. "GAAAH!"

"Are you going to put up another one? I can do this as long as I need to."

"Ngh…fine…if that is how it is going to be." To Sesshomaru's surprise the dragon rushes him and he readies himself to engage directly again. At the very last second, he flaps his mighty wings; blowing him back in an overpowering gust of wind. He quickly follows up with a formidable ram to the chest with his enormous ivory horns.

For half a breath, the wind is knocked out of him and bright dots color his vision. In the very next breath, he recovers and sees the ryu diving into the forgotten cave. _'Inuyasha.' _Sesshomaru speeds after him but arrives too late to stop the other from reaching the hanyou.

Khuzaimah retracts his wings as he grabs Inuyasha by his silver tresses and yanks him up to his knees, earning a hiss of pain from the younger. Tatsuya quickly scurries away and presses himself against the far wall in sheer terror. Sesshomaru scowls as he approaches but falters when he raises the sword to Inuyasha's neck. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

"…"

"Heh, heh…I knew you mutts were loyal, but I never would have imagined the high and mighty _Sesshomaru-sama _would concern himself with a hanyou."

"You must know," The dragon's sneer fades as the youkai proceeds to move closer.

"STOP!"

"That on the ground—"

"S-STAY BACK OR I'LL—"

"I am much faster than you."

"…"

To emphasize his point, Sesshomaru sheathes bakusaiga and instead flexes his clawed fingers. Khuzaimah swallows and looks down at the hanyou hanging flaccidly in his tight grip. Sesshomaru knows he recalls the time they met in the forests and how quickly he closed the gap between them. They both know he is right.

"Heh." He tosses Inuyasha to the ground like a piece of trash where he lays lifelessly with his face down in the dirt. "You've got me." Sesshomaru's eyes narrow at his sudden switch in demeanor. Khuzaimah also stows away his sword and shrugs; a mocking smile on his face. "A dragon could never hope to outrun a dog after all."

"Are you sure these are what you want your last words to be?"

"You will not kill me."

"Unlike my father, my compassion only extends to allowing your charge the choice to flee before having to witness his precious master being ripped limb from limb. Watch what you say to This Sesshomaru."

"Pretty threats, but you will not kill me son of Inutaisho. Because killing me would be the same as killing your half-breed brother."

'_What?' _His eyes fall on Inuyasha who turns his head to meet his gaze. _'I can smell the difference in his scent but surely he did not…'_

"That's right Sesshomaru. Your little brother is my bitch now. If his mate dies, then so does he."

"…"

"Ha-HA! You should see the look on your face." Sesshomaru says nothing as the gloating ryu circles Inuyasha and crouches down yanking him up by the hair to smirk in his face. "Too bad for you dogs, eh? See, if anything were to happen to Inuyasha, I would be perfectly fine. As I explained to him, ryu-youkai has no such connection to those subservient to them. To the trash beneath them."

"…"

"Ne Sesshomaru, what is it going to be? You came all this way to play the role of savior but now all you can do is stand there like a fool. HAHAHA—"

"Do…it…" Khuzaimah is stunned into silence when the previously mute hanyou rasps. He is staring at his older brother with a pleading look in his empty eyes. "Just do it Sesshomaru…"

"…" '_Inuyasha…have you fallen so low? After all this time of surviving, would it be so easy for you throw your life away? What has he done to you?' _

"Please—"

"Shut. Your. **Mouth.**" Khuzaimah hisses into his injured ear before slamming his face into the ground. "I am sick of—nghk!" His words end in a choked gurgle and he finds himself face to face with the Lord of the West; a mere breath away from his immaculate features. He looks down with wide eyes to find the daiyoukai's clawed hand stabbing him right through the chest, just barely missing his heart and coming out through his back. He latches onto his arm with trembling hands and coughs up pools of blood.

"L-Lord Khuzaimah!"

"Don't." Sesshomaru's growl is enough to stop the dragon-boy midstride. "Come any closer."

"Y-Y-You?" He covers the dairyu's mouth with his free hand while at the same time yanking his head to his side; exposing scaly neck. "MMMPH! MM!" As he struggles to pull away from him, Sesshomaru bares his fangs and sinks them deep into his neck. "MMMMMMMMPH! MMMMMMM MMMM!" He does not let go until the seal is complete and once it is, he yanks his hand out of his chest and shoves onto the gravelly floor. Khuzaimah's hands hover helplessly around the gaping hole in his chest before he covers his neck in abrupt realization. His body is squirming in pain, no doubt from the burning sensation coursing through his veins. "Y-You WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Sesshomaru wipes his mouth with the back of his hand as he straightens up. "You should know. What? Did you think yourself the only one powerful enough to take on more than one mate at a time? Or perhaps you assumed you disgusting reptiles were the only ones with that capability? You are both mine now."

Khuzaimah scoots back as the lord slowly advances on him. "T-This, b-but now you definitely cannot kill me! If you do kill me, you will also—"

"Your arrogance knows no bounds. This Sesshomaru is more than capable of surviving the loss of one of my mates."

Once again, Khuzaimah pales and he scrambles back in sheer panic until he finds himself trapped between the all and the daiyoukai. Sesshomaru looms over him with a dark expression on his normally noble features. "B-B-But surely it will weaken you?! You dogs are insistently loyal! I know it! Killing me would be a detriment. S-Surely you would not risk such a thing for your hanyou little brother?! Your power means everything to you?! Why—"

"Enough!"

"Sesshomaru…" At the soft call of his name, he glances over his shoulder to find Inuyasha still prolonged on the ground and struggling for his every breath. The light is draining from his dull eyes now as they slide close. Right before they shut, Sesshomaru can see the question his little brother wants to ask.

'_Am I sure…No, but—' _He turns back around and raises his sword above his head. _'He has to die!' _He brings the sword down with every intent to slice the false lord down the middle, but the ryu throws his hand up with a shout.

"NO!" Sesshomaru nearly looses his footing from the force of the barrier he throws up at the very last second. "I, LORD KHUZAIMAH, WILL NOT PERISH THIS WAY!" Before Sesshomaru can respond, the cavern begins to shake; raining dust and rocks down on the occupants. He immediately takes note of how the very mountain begins to quake and crumble beneath their feet. _'The entire thing is coming down.' _Khuzaimah uses the distraction to sprout his wings and take off into the sky once again with one hand covering the gaping hole in his chest. Sesshomaru immediately flies after him with bakusaiga at the ready. Khuzaimah turns his head and in his desperation exhales a large cloud of fire at the pursuing Inu. Sesshomaru moves out of the way with a quick spiral and closes the gap in an instant. He raises the sword to strike and—

"INUYASHA-SAMA!"

He stops and turns around to see the huge mountain crumbling and deteriorating before his very eyes. In the chaos, he can see the dragon-boy trying desperately to keep an unconscious Inuyasha from plummeting to the Earth. His scrawny arms are shaking with the effort to keep him on the cliff eroding under them. Sesshomaru hesitates a beat and looks back in time to see that Khuzaimah is already almost out of his line of sight. "Tch." He sheaths his sword for the last time and turns into an orb of light as he flashes back to the peak.

"AAAH!" Tatsuya's grip slips and Inuyasha drops towards the rocky abyss. Before he meets his end, Sesshomaru grabs him and hovers just above the decaying mountain.

One hand remains on his sword as the other wraps around his back to keep his limp body close. He stares at his outoto's bruised and bloody face with a blank expression before glaring in the direction Khuzaimah escaped. His hold tightens on his sword and he pulls Inuyasha even closer.

'_You have my word that I will bring about your demise.' _

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading. Hope you liked this chapter. I know up until this point Sesshomaru has not been very involved in the story, but that is clearly going to change. I apologize if this chapter has more mistakes than usual, but I was very tired while editing this. Also pats to me for getting this updated halfway through Oct. Hopefully I'll be able to meet my goal of updating twice a month. Leave some encouragement~ **


	10. I Won't Go Back

Inuyasha's POV:

'_So cold…so tired…my body hurts…but somehow it feels numb too.' _Light licks at his eyelids, but he cannot muster the will to open them. It feels like his body is floating…everything feels so far away. Like he is stuck in a void. A place so very cold and dark. So incredibly cold.

And then suddenly there is a warmth; a soothing touch caressing the side of his bruised face. It feels nice. He wants to cling onto the feeling. To lean into the comforting sensation, but he can feel himself slipping away again. The touch is pulling away from him and he wants so desperately to hold onto it. It is the only thing keeping him from the desolate void. He attempts to open his eyes, but only manages to catch a blurry, bright glimpse of the figure retreating from him. _'…Wait…'_

….

….

….

The next time he wakes up, it is to the mouth-watering smells of roasting meat. Like the first time, he has some difficulty orientating himself, but he is finding it much easier to fight the tendrils clawing at the edge of his mind. Slowly, but surely, he can feel the fog lifting until finally his eyes blink open. The flood of offensively bright light makes him immediately regret his decision, but he forces himself to keep them open. It takes some time for his vision to clear and once it does, he finds himself staring at a rocky ceiling. _'…Why…' _There is only one place his mind can associate with a rocky wall; he must still be stuck in that forsaken cave. He somehow survived another day only to endure more suffering. Khuzaimah is going to continue to use and tarnish his body until there is nothing left. Panic seizes his body as his heart beats too hard and too fast in his chest. _'Where is he? Where is Khuzaimah?!' _He bolts into an upright position too abruptly; causing the room to spin violently. His breath is coming out in sharp pants and yet he cannot get enough of it in his lungs. _'Where?! Where is he?!' _The cavern walls are closing in. They are going to devour him whole before Khuzaimah gets the chance. The dark tendrils are creeping in to yank him back into oblivion. _'No! No! I don't want to go back! Help me! Someone hel—'_

"Inuyasha-sama!" The darkness takes refuge in the back of his mind once more; bathing him in a flood of too bright light. As his vision stabilizes the rocky ceiling comes back into view making his heart rate and breathing accelerate once again. "I-Inuyasha-sama?"

His head snaps to the right to find a jade-eyed dragon-boy carefully watching him. The ryu reaches out to help with shaky fingers when the hanyou suddenly pushes himself into a full sitting position. "Ugh." He clutches at his head when the room sways in retaliation.

"A-Are you okay? P-Please m-move slower Master Inuyasha."

Peering through his fingers, he realizes there is no way he is still holed up in the mountains. This grotto is much smaller than the last and the cave entrance is covered by a curtain of vines and branches. Through the leafy veil sunlight streams in; warming the entire room and bathing it in light. _'Where…is this…?' _The relief of not being imprisoned on the mountain is overshadowed by his dread and confusion at discovering this new unfamiliar place. He looks back at Tatsuya and notices that the kid does not look anymore fearful than usual, but still he wants to know what is going on. His mouth is so dry that it takes a couple of false starts to rasp out anything at all. "What…is going…on? Where is—" His unfinished question ends in a hacking cough which prompts the boy to fetch a nearby cup of water. After gulping it down, he tries again. "Where the hell are we?"

"I-I am not s-sure where this is Master Inuyasha. I m-managed to track you a-and your onisama to these forests."

"My—?" _'Wait, so he really did come…Sesshomaru.' _"Where is he?"

"I-I do not know." Tatsuya frowns before offering a meek bow in the face of all the questions he is leaving unanswered. "F-Forgive me."

"What happened to Khuzaimah then?"

His little body jolts at the mere mention of his dragon lord and he casts his eyes subserviently to the ground, before speaking through his indigo bangs. "…I…I d-do not know about that either…After K-Khuzaimah-sama was w-wounded, m-my lord flew away and the mountains collapsed." With every word, Inuyasha can feel the thick haze lifting from his fuzzy memories. Like a dam being broken, the events from the previous nights come rushing forth. _'Sesshomaru mated Khuzaimah instead of just killing him outright…right? Or was it a dream? It had to be, right?! Khuzaimah said that doing such a thing would weaken him, so why would he go so far? Power means everything to Sesshomaru! Why did he come in the first place? Did Miroku and Sango send him? No…he would never take orders from them.' _"Ngh." Even if he wants to dwell on all these unanswered questions, his throbbing headache is having none of it.

"I-Inuyasha-sama, d-does your head h-hurt?" _'Everything damn hurts.' _"Ano, m-maybe I should change your bandages?" _'Bandages?' _On cue, he glances down to find his partially nude body mostly wrapped up in dingy bandages. The only part of him not covered is his face, feet and forearms. "I will go make some m-more salve. There is a spring a little w-ways away i-if Inuyasha-sama would like to clean his wounds. Ah! Perhaps you require some assistance? W-Would you like m-me to help you to it first?"

"No, don't be stupid. I'm fine, you can just go." _'I've shown enough weakness to last an eternity.'_

"Yes, my lord." With another hasty bow, the ryu darts through the curtain of vines leaving the Inuhanyou on his own.

'_This is unreal…' _He can hardly believe that he is off that mountain and due to the actions of his brother no less. A part of him does _not _believe it and won't until he sees it with his own eyes. So, despite his body pleading with him to just lay back down and fall into the sweet embrace of sleep once more, he forces himself onto his knees. Using the wall to help steady himself, he scrambles to his feet and pauses to allow the waves of pain traveling all over his body to subside. It only takes a few more pauses of mental preparation for him to let go of the wall and make his way to the cave opening. He meanders out on wobbly legs and greeted with sunshine and shrubbery. He can tell he is somewhere in the forests and directly below him he spots a small stream he could not hear or smell before. He drops down, ignoring the fact that his knees buckle under his weight, and follows the stream downward to find the spring in ends in. It is slow going and he must stop a couple times to catch his breath and clutch at his throbbing head, but eventually the trees part to reveal a modest spring surrounded by stones. He slumps against one of the warm stones to recover before removing his hakama and peeling off his numerous bandages. Under them he can see the usual array of bruises and cuts that mar his body now-a-days, but for once it looks like they are starting to fade away. _'As I thought. There was something about that bastard's barrier that was keeping me from healing properly. The only thing that looks rough is…' _His examination ends on the prominent scar across his abdomen and his hand unconsciously comes up to stroke the length of it. _'It's possible that it will never heal all the way. A constant reminder of...them…How long has it been? A few days? A few weeks? Tatsuya said the mountain collapsed…what kind of a grave is that for innocent little—' _"Tch!" He tries, with little success, to shake the image of watching his pups fall to their doom and focus on the here and now. _'Khuzaimah's ass is mine, but I need to recover first. He is a slippery snake, so I need to make sure the next time we meet is our last. But right now, I need to focus on the things I can do.'_

Despite the sting to his open cuts, he sets about the task of making himself clean as soon as he sinks into the deceptively hot water. He dunks himself completely under to wet his mane of silver locks before resurfacing and starting on the arduous chore of detangling it. Looking down at his body, he notices the hand sized bruises between his thighs, on his svelte hips, up his side, around his wrists, and all over his arms. He can feel the ghost of those disgusting scaled fingers grabbing at his body and all at once he feels sick to his stomach. In a vain attempt to rid himself of the feeling, he begins scrubbing at his skin again with more gusto. No matter how many times or how hard he scrubs at the same spots; he feels so dirty, so used, so powerless—

'Dammit!' He shuts his eyes to block the countless memories of those filthy hands grabbing at him, turning him every which way, torturing him for the sake of entertainment—he can practically see the dragon lord sneering down at him now and cackling at his discomfort. 'Why? Why do I keep seeing this bastard's face?!'

"Enough!" He is more than startled when he opens his eyes to find Sesshomaru glaring down at him. He has one of his wrists locked in a death grip and that is when he notices how red and raw the skin on his arms are; some spots are blistered and bleeding. A flood of stinging tenderness immediately follows this realization and he lets out a low hiss of pain. In his frenzied state he must have over did it scrubbing his body. Has Khuzaimah truly affected him this much?

_(Sesshomaru's POV)_

'_He actually looks surprised at his own actions. Fool.' _"What do you think you're doing?"

"I…"

"Are you that much of a mindless idiot?"

"Che! Let go of me!" His glare intensifies as his brother yanks his hand away and snarls at him.

Seeing that at least he has snapped out of whatever daze he was in, the daiyoukai steps out the water and turns his back to him. All things considered he appears to be back to his usual pigheaded self. "Hurry up and get out."

"Yer' not the boss of me!" Despite his petulant protest, he can hear the splash of the water as he steps out to get dressed.

Sesshomaru spares a glance over his shoulder and his usually expressionless face contorts into a frown. _'He is incredibly thin.' _His honeyed eyes take in tattered condition of his little brother's body with cold scrutiny. His back is to him as well and he can see the long semi-healed scars marring it. As he pulls on his top he turns around and catches him staring.

"What are you staring at me for?"

"Hurry up and go back to your humans."

"Huh?"

"If you can make it this far on your own, then pull yourself together enough to go back home." _'And then I can track that vermin down properly.' _With Khuzaimah being marked as his mate he cannot hide forever. Even so, the coward's presence has grown weaker and weaker in such a short amount of time and it is fading into nothing. Soon it will prove more difficult to sniff him out. If were not for Inuyasha's condition, he would have caught up to him a while ago but leaving him now leaves him open to all sorts of dangers. He thought of taking the injured hanyou deep within his territory in the western lands, but then he would have to travel farther to get back to his village which could also prove fatal if any trouble arises. He certainly does not expect the little ryu slave boy to put any sort of fight. He also thought about taking him straight to the humans and letting his idiot brother be their burden, but Khuzaimah is aware of that village. He may try to attack or capture Inuyasha again while he is still weak. Those humans are no match and Rin would be in peril as well. However, more than anything, it bothers the western lord that he is concerning himself with such petty details. He should have just left Inuyasha to fend for himself and taken care of Khuzaimah accordingly. BUT the fact remains that Inuyasha is also bonded to him. Leaving him on his own like this is in direct conflict with his alpha instincts…not that he would _ever _admit it—not even to himself.

"I have no intention on going back to everyone looking like…this." His stare is as cold as ever as Inuyasha scowls and averts his gaze to the grass.

"You have no choice. It is clear you cannot do anything on your own."

"What was that?!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Got to hell Sesshomaru. I'm not going anywhere."

This bold statement has the lord turning around and charging towards him on impulse. He stops just short of punching him when he notices the way his malnourished body tenses in anticipation. _'He's…flinching?' _As if coming to this realization at the same time, Inuyasha stubbles backwards; reflexively reaching for tetssaiga. They both look down when his hand close around nothing. _'Must still be on the mountain, hm.' _"What? Is it a fight yer' looking for?!"

Being up so close, Sesshomaru can really see how thin he is. His cheeks are sullen, and his skin is almost as pale as his. _'As if you could put up one.' _ "I will not be made to watch over you like a nursemaid. Go back to your vi—"

"No one is asking you to! In fact, I don't know why yer' here!"

"I would not be here if you were not so weak! I would have slain Khuzaimah by now."

"What?! Khuzaimah is mine to kill!"

"You're wrong."

"Sesshomaru, this has nothing to do with you! Why are you getting yourself involved?! Why did you come?!"

It takes everything in him not to change his mind about walloping his mouthy half-brother, but somehow, he manages to turn his back on him once more. "I don't owe you any explanations."

"Why you!"

"I will kill him and that is final. He has disrespected father and—"

"**Sesshomaru**," The snarl comes deep from his chest and he is none too surprised to find his little brother back in his face, glaring up at him with unbridled rage. "Khuzaimah is **mine**. I am going to recover my strength, retrieve tessaiga, and rip him limb for limb. And if you get in my way then I'll just have to take you down too!" Normally he would have put him in his place for such a bold threat, but the way the anger suddenly dissipates from his eyes give him pause. The foreign emptiness that replaces his rage is not unlike when he first encountered him locked away on the mountain. A sadness—no, an aura of helplessness unlike anything he has seen from him before. And just like before, it is enough to send a pang of discomfort through his chest. "I have to be the one. I must make him pay with my own hands. What he did is—I…" His voice is thick with emotion now and he can no longer continue. Instead he cradles his stomach as his eyes gloss over with unshed tears. Thinking maybe he has pushed his body to the limit, Sesshomaru huffs through his nose and starts in the direction of the den he left him in. Without bothering to see if the other will follow, he wraps his mokomoko around him to carry him along. Of course, this has the effect of instantly snapping the younger male back to normal. "Hey! What the hell, Sesshomaru?! Put me down! I can walk on my own! You! Are you listening? Hey!" Even unharmed, it would be near impossible for him to get out of mokomoko's grip but that does not stop the brash youth from trying. He completely ignores his ranting and raving and takes him the entire way back.

Tatsuya's eyes look like they are going to fall out of his head when the two arrive with the hanyou still kicking and spewing profanities. "M-M-My lords!"

With a simple flick of his tail, he tosses the Inuhanyou onto the plush nest the ryu has prepared for him.

"Oof! Sesshomaru you—"

"Hurry up and treat his wounds so that he can eat." He commands without so much as a glance in either of their directions. He is already halfway out of the cave.

"Y-Yes, m-my lord!"

"Sessho—!"

"And do not let him go anywhere on his own."

"Y-Yes! M-My lord!"

"Sesshomaru!"

He stops mid-stride when he notices that he is struggling to stand up. "Stay. Put."

"I was serious about what I said! I will take care of you next, if you but in. You better not go after—"

"I get it already so shut up and sit down."

"You—w-what?" That is clearly not what he was expecting him to say.

"I am telling you to hurry up and get better. Now that he is bonded to me, I will not allow to do as he pleases. If you intend to be the one to lay claim to his head, you should stop being so helpless and take care of this pathetic state of yours."

"Ngh." The low grumble in his chest indicates his annoyance at his words, but nonetheless he manages to bite his tongue since it appears the demon is not going against his wishes.

"Also, you would do best not to threaten me until you can wield tessaiga again."

"Hmpt."

He steps out and only takes a few steps before stopping and scowling up at the clear blue sky. _'What am I doing? At this rate, Khuzaimah will go into hiding again. He avoided notice for this long, surely, he can do it again. My mark will make it harder but, we are not at all compatible. We are both of the alpha class with him being forced into beta. I am of father's clan and he is a dirty dragon. And there is also the addition of Inuyasha; weakening the bond more than if there were only two of us. The only reason the bond took in the first place is because of my undisputed power. I should go after him before it is too late…' _The image of Inuyasha staring up at him with those pleading eyes while laying prone in filth and anguish assaults his mind for the umpteenth time that day and he closes his eyes in irritation. "Ridiculous…"

_(Inuyasha's POV)_

"O-Oh, Master Inuyasha h-how—ano, p-pardon me." Tatsuya shakes his head as he realizes he was getting ready to question the already peeved male sitting in front of him. He is staring at his red and raw arms with his forehead wrinkled in worry. "I am sorry f-for this, my lord. T-The salve I made will make this s-sting quite a bit."

Inuyasha can only scoff and role his eyes at that. "What kind of wimp do you take me for, kid? Just go ahead."

The ryu nods and gulps before using a rag to apply the mixture. As he said it does burn, but the Inu's focus is elsewhere now. He eyes the entrance of the den in sour contemplation. _'What are you thinking…Sesshomaru. I don't know how Khuzaimah disrespected the old man, but I know nothing gets you more riled. You better not go after him without me. I need to be the one. For them. I already broke my promise once. I will never forgive you if you take this one chance for revenge from me. Nothing I could do to him could ever be enough but…I'll still tear him apart and it'll feel SO damn good.' _The feeling of the kid wrapping his arms brings him out of his thoughts. He looks over at the fully cooked boar and his stomach rumbles with desire. "You did good for yourself, kid. Didn't think yah' had it in yah' to bring down something like that."

"O-Oh no!" His eyes widen at the mere thought and he covers his mouth to hide a rare giggle. "Lord Sesshomaru brought that in. I m-merely cooked it. L-Lord Sesshomaru also provided all these supplies."

"…"

"Having siblings must be nice. Y-Your onisama watched over you and n-never left until he was sure Inuyasha-sama w-would be alright."

"Che!" The scoff causes the ryu to peek at him curiously through his bangs. "Yeah well, don't be confused. Siblings ain't that great."

"I see…I am finished dressing your wounds, master. P-Please rest while I b-bring you some food."

"Don't forget to eat yourself."

"M-May I?"

"Duh! What kind of question is that?"

"A-Arigato gozaimasu!"

As the boy slices and prepares the meat, Inuyasha finds his mind preoccupied, again, by his aniki. The callous lord has always been so damn unpredictable. Inuyasha does not believe he will ever understand the way the other thinks or why he acts the way he does. He always does the opposite of what is expected of him. _'Just like…' _His fingers lightly stroke the place Khuzaimah bit him on the neck. Even without checking, he knows the mark has likely changed. Sesshomaru mentioned Khuzaimah being bonded to him, so that means that was not just some fever dream. Sesshomaru really mated them both to avoid ending the half breed's life.

Inuyasha can feel his face heating up and it only makes him even more uncomfortable. _'I really don't understand you but…I guess…It is better this way. Now I can be the one to kill that bastard. Still I cannot believe Sesshomaru would…Just what are you thinking?' _

….

**A/N: I feel like I end each chapter with an apology, but I truly do feel sorry when there are gaps between my updates! On an upside I made all As for my first semester of grad school…anyway, lol, I am not happy with how I had to do this chapter. It is short and more of a transition without much action, but hopefully it was not annoying or felt like a filler. I always like to post during the holidays because I know some people need an escape during that time. And if I can provide that for anyone, even one person, I am happy to do so. To whoever needs to hear this, it may not be familial or romantic, but as one human being to another I love you and care about your wellbeing!**

**~Happy Holidays**


	11. Unexpected Desires

Inuyasha's POV:

The setting sun warms the back of his neck as he focuses on a new target. His unsuspecting prey swims upstream as his golden eyes study the natural pattern it takes. Before it can get too far he lunges for it with claws barred. The fish stands no chance and it soon joins the pile of its' brethren who have suffered the same fate.

"Wow Inuyasha-sama! Amazing!"

"It's not that great kid." He wipes his sweaty brow with the back of his wet hand and glances up at the rosy-orange sunset. Hopefully with the coming of dusk it won't be so warm. His skin has been feeling prickly and hot all day, but still it feels great to be out and about again.

"It would have taken me m-much longer to collect this m-much."

"Hmpt." He leaps out of the water and pauses to roll the bottom of his hakama back down before rotating his shoulders and cracking his neck. There is still some stiffness here and there, not to mention some soreness all over, but all in all he is faring much better now-a-days.

"Are you feeling okay, M-Master Inuyasha?" He is none too surprised when he looks over to find the ryu staring at him in wide-eyed worried. The young boy was very much against the hanyou coming out to help him gather food but did not put up much of a fight when the forceful male insisted.

Honestly, he has been feeling much better other than the recent bout fever. It has been seven days since they left Khuzaimah's lair in the mountains and his demon side has been doing a fine job of speeding up his recovery. The only visible injury that remains is the one to his shoulder and stomach. He is not back to his former self, but he is getting there. What he really needs now is to recover tessaiga. That will be the true test of what his body can withstand. The more he pushes himself, the sooner his strength will return and then he can give Khuzaimah what he deserves.

"Inuyasha-sama a-are you ready to go back? Your face is looking f-flushed. I would not want you to exert y-yourself."

"You go ahead. I've got something to do."

"A-Ano, L-Lord Sesshomaru ordered me n-not to allow you to go anywhere on your o-own—"

"ALLOW me?!" The boy flinches away from his raised voice, so he does his best to reign in his outrage. "He is not the boss of me! Or you!" He adds in a matter-of-fact snort. It is beyond him why the ryu decided to take his brother's word as absolute or to serve either of them like his new masters. "I do NOT need Sesshomaru's blessing to do anything!" _'The fucking nerve of that bastard. He hasn't shown his face this entire time and he thinks he can give me orders? I know he has been patrolling the area and sticking close by because I can sense his presence, but to what end? What's the point? I don't understand him at all. Just leave already!' _

"I-I-I d-did not mean t-to u-upset you, m-my lord."

'_Oh great,' _He can hardly keep himself from rolling his eyes. _'Now I've gone and scared the brat.' _"Look, there's no need to be scared of me or him—" Tatsuya's dubious stare is enough for him to pause and correct himself with a dry chuckle, "Alright, well there's no need to be scared of me and if he tries anything, I'll take care of him."

"…I would not want Lord Inuyasha and L-Lord S-Sesshomaru to fight."

"Ha! Too late for that. We have plenty of times." _'Admittedly not for a while but…if it comes to it, so be it.' _"Anyway, take the fish and vegetables and go back without me. I'll be back before you know it."

Tatsuya looks as though he would like to protest again but falls silent with a troubled frown. He knows there is no use arguing with the stubborn Inu when his mind is made up. "H-Hai, my lord."

He watches the younger male wrap up their bounty in a large cloth before hoisting it on his back; nearly toppling himself over in the process. He gives him one more unsure look to which Inuyasha stubbornly crosses his arms; leaving him no choice but to go back to the grotto alone. Once he is sure the other really left, Inuyasha takes off in the direction he assumes Khuzaimah's mountain previously stood. Even though he was unconsciousness when they escaped, he has been feeling tessaiga's faint pulse ever since he has been well enough to move around properly. Sprinting and jumping through the trees is not as easy as it once was, but he disregards his throbbing wounds and pushes himself deeper into the woods. Soon enough his surroundings twist into the vaguely familiar. He remembers walking through this area all those months ago when Tatsuya first came to him with his plea. That one moment changed everything. Inuyasha had known that something was wrong even before that. His gut told him not to go and yet he disregarded his instincts to play hero. And because of his grave mistake, he is stuck in the situation he is in now. Two innocents, who barely got to see the light of day, payed the ultimate price for his recklessness. In his darkest moments, he has blamed Tatsuya and even lashed out at the boy on a few occasions. He has made the boy tremble in fear simply because he can; knowing that all it takes is a murderous look or barking tone.

He has also placed the blame on Sango. It is her fault for pushing him to play savior despite his misgivings. If she had just trusted his judgement and left well enough alone none of this would have ever happened.

And, of course, he has blamed Khuzaimah. In the end, the dragon lord is a sadistic monster for no other reason besides his own sick amusement. Even after all the torture and humiliation, there was no cause for siring pups on him in the first place and then denying them any chance at life. Such an unforgivable act is beyond comprehension.

His heart is filled with nothing but hatred for the dragon lord, so he feels just fine blaming him. However, when those dark periods of despair pass and are pushed back to the far reaches of his mind and the menial tasks of day to day living can take hold, he is left with crippling guilt. What is wrong with him? The kid is just another victim of that bastard's cruelty. Just a child fulfilling the wishes of his mother and trusting his uncle to teach him right from wrong and to shelter and protect him. And Sango is one of his most cherished friends; the closest to true family he will ever have. It is not her fault. As a pack they have always done what they could to help those who are vulnerable. He likely would have gone anyway if Tatsuya continued to beg and sob the way he did during his request.

After all the anger, shame, and guilt, he is left with only himself to blame. Khuzaimah may be the scum of the Earth, but…the blame falls on himself because if he was strong enough, none of it would have ever happened. If he had not let his guard down. If he had only used his head more. There were so many signs. That panther woman even warned him, but he was too headstrong to listen. Too hellbent on being the protector. "Dammit!" As usual, he tries to push those thoughts, and the emotions that come with them, down and focus on what he can do now.

The trees part after a while to reveal stacks of dirt and ruins where tall monuments once stretched up to the heavens. He hates the way he feels himself hesitate before diving straight for where tessaiga is calling for him. He holds his arm out expectantly and after a few tense seconds, the rusty sword rockets out of the ground and into his waiting hand. "Finally." A smirk tugs at his mouth as he fingers the handle. The feeling is indescribable. Already he feels less exposed and powerless. "It has been a while, tessaiga." He backflips into the clearing to face the pile of rubble properly and in an instant the relic transforms into his father's prized fang. "Time to put me and you both to the test. But maybe…not here…" He adds in a mumble as he eyes the rocks again—more specifically what likely lies underneath all of it. _'If I were to use the wind scar here…it would reduce what little is left of __**them**__ to ash…I'll come back and give you a proper burial after I take care of your __**father**__.' _

Turning around, he takes aim at the trees instead and shifts into a sturdier stance. His eyes shut for a moment as he draws a steadying breath to calm his frantic heartbeat. His body still feels like it is overheating, and he can feel beads of sweat dripping down his face despite the sun being long gone by now. His shoulders shake with the effort it takes to wield a heavy sword like tessaiga, but he pretends not to feel any of these things when his eyes snap back open. "KAZE NO KIZU!" His wind scar shreds through the forest; destroying everything in its' wake and leaving three long trenches decorating the previously lush terrain. The force sends him rag dolling backwards until his body slams painfully into a tree trunk. "Ungh!" The air is temporarily knocked out of his lungs, but he recovers quickly enough and is more concerned with how he did than taking it easy. _'Che, not bad. But not good either.' _In comparison to the true devastation his wind scar can cause, this impromptu deforestation is lack luster._ 'It shouldn't have taken so much outa' me to do just this much. I gotta' get much better. And quick.' _

"All that fuss for _that?_" A hiss whispers from the surrounding canopies. He tries to jump to his feet but ends up doubled over due to a frighteningly familiar twinge in the pit of his stomach. His mouth has been inexplicably dry all day and he was feeling inexplicably warm…he has only felt this way one other time. _'But! No! That's impossible! I'm not stuck behind that barrier anymore! I'm away from that fucking creep! No, I must have just overdone it. Yeah, I'm just sick.' _His denial proves to be hopeless when that feeling travels beyond just the pit of his stomach. _'No dammit!' _

"Hey dog!" This time the hiss is more of an agitated snarl than a whisper; reminding him that he is not alone. He looks up in time to watch the figure spring from the shadows, landing just a few feet away from where he is trying to get his bearings. The stranger has obnoxious red hair, shimmering orange eyes, and twin tails that dance behind her—wait. He recognizes this feline. She is the leader of those panthers who kept launching attacks against Khuzaimah. The ones he _so desperately _needed his assistance with.

"You! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I've been scouting this area ever since Khuzaimah's lair came down. I am waiting for him to come back. I came rushing over when I smelled something strange, but I never expected it to be you. And in such a state, no less. Disgusting."

'_Maybe she knows something about his whereabouts since she's been watching the place.' _ He plants tessaiga firmly in the ground and uses it to straighten himself to salvage some sense of dignity. When he speaks, he sounds a little out of breath, but he hopes she thinks it is because of unleashing his sword's attack and nothing else. "Where did Khuzaimah go? Do you know what happened to him?"

"You think I'd be here if I did?! Stupid dog."

"Shut your trap and think a little! Where would he go?!"

"I should be asking you that. I thought for sure he must be back here with all those gross smells you're giving off. Looks like he decided to keep you after all. Man, his standards have really reached an all-time low."

"What?!" He snaps as she turns her nose up in contempt. "You knew what that sick bastard was about?!"

"I told you; you would meet your end messing with the likes of Khuzaimah."

"You—! If you knew something back then why didn't you say it more clearly?!"

"Oh, quit your barking already. I would never trust anyone who would willingly work with him. Especially not after how he dumped me. Now if you excuse me, he owes me some new kits." She twirls on the spot; totally unbothered by the low growl emanating from his throat. All of a sudden the scarlet fur on her twin tails stands on edge for a second before she relaxes and throws him a wide Cheshire grin. "Looks like you'll be busy enough anyway. Have fun half-breed."

"What—?" She slinks back off into the shadows before he can get another word in edgewise. When he takes a step forward to follow her, he doubles over again from the knot tightening in his stomach. At this point, he can hardly move and tessaiga is the only reason he is still on his feet. "It's no good…What am I supposed to do now?" Maybe Tatsuya will come looking for him. The worrisome dragon did have his reservations about him going out on his own and he knew where the Inu was headed. Even though it would be embarrassing to have to rely on the young boy when he is like this, he does not have much of a choice at this point. And unfortunately, the child has seen him at lower points than this. _'How pathetic…' _

His thoughts are abruptly interrupted by the ground vibrating underneath his feet. Looking up through his hair, he notices the leaves on the trees shaking in a steady rhythm. _Boom! Boom! Boom! 'What the hell is that?' Boom! Boom! Boom! 'Whatever it is it's getting closer.' Boom! Boom! Boom! _An ogre-like demon stomps his way from deep in the woods and into the large clearing. The giant towers well above the tallest trees and wears nothing but a filthy loincloth. He takes note that the heavy club he is wielding is almost the same size as him before turning his scowl to his drooling face. "Lose something over here, big ugly?"

"Ugly?! Grrr!" The thundering oni is by no means fast, but with Inuyasha currently too dizzy and feverish to stand straight it is impossible to avoid his big meaty fist. He grunts as he grabs him too tightly and pulls him level to his snarling face. "Mmm, you smell good. Hanyou belong to Okram."

"What?!" It has been centuries since he has had to seriously worry about someone eating him and it is not even the night of the new moon. "Put me down, yah' freak!"

"Okram no freak. No be scared. You and Okram have fun." _'What?' _ The air rushes out of his lungs when the giant squeezes him harder. Although it feels like his back is about to break in two, he has a feeling he is not actually trying to hurt him just yet. That does not stop him from balking when the less than gentle giant reaches for him with his free hand.

"Make way."

'_Sesshomaru?' _Sure enough when he looks down and behind the massive oni he finds the Lord of the West staring at them with an ominous glower.

"Hrm?" Okram glances up at the night sky as if expecting it to explain itself before turning his hulking body around to face the demonic man less than a third his size. "Ooooh another pretty puppy for Okram? Is Okram's lucky day!"

Even with the forest spinning and his face hot with fever, he can see the way his brother's eyebrows pinch in annoyance. "Move."

"No worry pretty puppy, Okram take good care—urk! AAARGH!"

"Oof!" Inuyasha drops to the ground with a hard thud as a streak of yellow-green light tears through the night. He looks up in time to watch the unlucky youkai disintegrate in a mass of blood and molting flesh right before his very eyes. His head jerks up as the callous lord proceeds to casually step over the rotting corpse and stalk towards him.

_Sesshomaru's POV:_

After making short work of the nuisance, he rounds on his little brother laying half-propped against a tree. He looks completely out of it; his eyes are unfocused, cheeks flushed, skin slick with sweat, and Sesshomaru can hear his heart pounding away in his chest. His youkai has been acting restless lately, so he had a sneaking suspicion about this being a possibility but If there was any doubt it has vanished in the face of his irresistible scent. The full-blooded demon had assumed that it would be revolting, much like he has come to hate his sibling's natural scent, but on the contrary…it is painfully…enticing. _'Enticing? To a second-rate lowlife, perhaps, but to This Sesshomaru? Laughable.' _There is nothing funny, however, about the nauseatingly sweet fragrance wafting up his eloquent nose. When he speaks, there is a slight, barely noticeable hitch to his voice which only further adds to his displeasure. "What do you think you're doing?" The fact that he decides to blatantly ignore him to stagger unsteadily to his feet only adds fuel to his agitation. His scrutinizing scowl takes in his stiff movements as he reaches for tessaiga and uses his body weight to uproot it. It takes him several misses to put the sword back in its' scabbard. "Fool. You thought it sensible to retrieve tessaiga in such a state?"

"What state? I'm fine!" Even now his protests come out between labored pants. _'Is he that much of stubborn mule or simply an unsuspecting imbecile? Either is very likely and equally inexcusable.' _The probability that his otouto has no idea that his presence is likely sending any demon in the near vicinity into a frenzy is the tipping point for his fragile patience. Before the other can blink he yanks him by haori and slams him up against the tree. "Ow! What the—?! Let go!" It does not surprise him that he tries to struggle despite his condition, but he quickly quashes his efforts by pressing his muscular frame onto his slimmer one. Trapped between the tree and his unmoving body, Sesshomaru feels him grow taut. "G-Get o-off." His protest comes out in a shaky whimper and looking down at his flushed face stirs something deep in the usually dispassionate daiyoukai.

'_Tch.' _He stopped breathing awhile ago, but even holding his breath at this stage seems fruitless since the first signs of arousal are already stirring below his waist._ 'This foul stench…this unabashed wantonness; it is disgraceful. How can he have father's blood coursing through his veins? How __**dare **__he, a filthy hanyou, try and tempt __**me?**__' _The sigh passes over his cold lips and ghosts over his canine ear; making it twitch anxiously against his mouth. _'...This is ridiculous.' _

"Ah—itai, hey!" Inuyasha's indignant howls fall on deaf ears as he spins on his heels and drags him along. "Let go, dammit! Ugh!" He can hardly stay on his feet and his useless struggles has him tripping and tumbling every few steps. Part of him is aware he should take it easy on him considering he is still recovering, yet the daiyoukai's rationality is quickly waning. Soon he spots the spring close to their makeshift camp and with a jerk of his arm he tosses the panting Inu forward. He just barely avoids tumbling into the crystal-clear water and pushes himself up onto his hands and knees to glare at the other. "Sesshomaru you bastard! Enough already! What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"Be silent." He can see his lips working already to form a retort, but he does not manage to get the words out before the daiyoukai is on him; pressing him to the ground with his body. It has been awhile since he has indulged in his more carnal desires and he cannot believe it is Inuyasha of all people who is provoking his youkai this way. It has to be because of their new bond. It must be. If he does not take matters into his own hands, demons will continue to come after him. But does he truly want to disgrace himself by _claiming _Inuyasha in such a way? As if answering his unvoiced question, his youkai growls out in longing once again._ 'Lord Sesshomaru tempted by a filthy hanyou? I have already been reduced to saving him, how much lower will he drag me?__…Curse you Inuyasha.' _"I cannot leave you alone for a single moment it seems."

"Get off—" His words are lost to the dirt as he swiftly turns him over onto his stomach. "Will yah' get off me already?!" He spits as soon as he is able to push his head up. Unbeknownst to him, all his wriggling and growling is only serving to entice his alpha more. The sound of his erratic heartbeat combined with his intoxicating scent is almost too much to handle. Inuyasha immediately grows stiff when Sesshomaru yanks his simple obi from around his middle. His strong fingers ghost over his lithe waist for a moment before he latches onto them and pulls him back into his own hips. He obviously feels the hardness on his bottom, and he grinds into him; causing his ears to flatten into his silver hair. "Sesshomaru…" All the bark has left his voice which is now barely above a whisper as he quivers on his hands and knees. "W-What are you doing?" The male in question pays no heed to his question and instead regards the fading scars on his back with cool disinterest. Despite his quick recovery, he is still much thinner than he has ever been in the past. His smaller body shudders under his touch as he traces the deep claw marks down his back to his pert bottom. As he scrutinizes the damage done to his body, he inadvertently thinks of the one responsible. Just how many times did that cowardly dragon use him? Did Inuyasha fight? Or did he freeze up like he is now? Why does the very idea boil his blood so much? He does not care. It has nothing to do with him! "Seriously Sesshomaru wha—mmph!" His words are cut short as he clamps a large hand over his mouth.

"I told you to be silent." He uses his firm grip to yank the hanyou's head backward when he tries to shake his mouth free. _'The fool is obviously in no condition to be left alone. This wretched scent will only draw more and more cretins to him. Can I not leave him to his own devices for even a moment? I must claim him at least once to rid myself of yet another burden he has caused. Just once. Out of necessity. That is all.' _His eyes flash red in the moonlight for a split second and in the next instant he unties his own sash to free his hard sex. Once again, he grabs hold of his boyish hips with his free hand and pulls him back until he dives into the valley between his cheeks. Instinctively, Inuyasha lurches forward and tries to pull away but the daiyoukai halts those efforts by thrusting forward and burying himself deep inside his wanton body.

"Mmm! Mmph! Mmm! Mm!" Even though his heat cycle has naturally prepared his body, the older Inu still has to brute force his way pass the constricting ring working to keep him out. The usually stoic lord sucks in a breath at the feeling and removes the hand he had clasped over his mouth to get a tighter grip on his waist. "A-Ah, hah ungh shit—ah!" His vulgar cries are enough to drive him wild. The cries quickly turn into whimpers and moans of pleasure when he starts to move against him. All pretense of trying to struggle free is forgotten as his alpha provides him with what his wanton body so desperately needs. It is not long before he is pushing back to meet his vigorous passion. The slap of skin on skin echoes around the forest as they rut into the night. Time has no concept as the Western lord indulges in his most carnal desires; it appears to last forever but also feels entirely too soon when Inuyasha's groans become more intense. "Ungh—ah, ah S-Sesshomaru!" His voice hitches and body tenses around him as he reaches his peak. After spilling his lusts, his trembling arms nearly give out but Sesshomaru pulls him back to meet his passionate movements. It does not take him long to reach his own climax and spill his seed into his mate with a breathy grunt. The pleasure is so overwhelming, unlike anything he has felt in a long time or maybe ever. Is this what it feels like to claim a mate for his own? The sheer intensity renders the usually composed male breathless as he sinks his claws into the flesh underneath them. The trickle of blood spilling over his fingers hardly registers in his pleasure induced daze. By the time he gets a hold of himself, he is laying on top of Inuyasha who has finally collapsed under the weight of his muscular body. His otouto is once again gasping for air and it looks like he is struggling to remain conscious. A battle he is quickly losing based on his drooping eyelids.

Instead of immediately disentangling himself as he would with any of his other conquests from the past, he brushes the pale locks away from the hanyou's sweaty neck. By now the mark between his shoulder and neck has changed from whatever it was before into a crescent moon; officially marking him as his. His gold eyes narrow as the image of the one who originally claimed him assaults his mind.

"_That's right Sesshomaru. Your little brother is my bitch now."_

'_Tch.' _His brow pinches in disgust as the ryu's words echo in his head. Inuyasha moans lightly in discomfort as his exploring fingers suddenly close around the back of his neck. It matters not how little he thinks of his half-breed half-brother. That dragon—nor anybody else for that matter, will ever be allowed to use him this way again. Whether either of them likes it or not—

He belongs to him now.

_Inuyasha's POV:_

_(four days later)_

"If I m-may say, you are looking much b-better Inuyasha-sama."

"Hah?" The long-haired male had been sitting with his legs crisscrossed and his arms folded in his large sleeves. He lifts his head from the wall and opens his eyes to find Tatsuya's bright green ones observing him per usual. It would be unnerving if he were not so accustomed to it. "What do yah' mean?"

"Oh!" They grow even bigger in the face of his natural scowl. "E-Excuse my insolence! I just c-could not help but n-notice Inuyasha-sama was able to sleep through the whole night with no p-problems. A-And you also look well this morning." It is true that his heat has finally subsided and allowed him a peaceful night for once. The last three days were as tortuous as the first time he went through his forced heat cycle. All he did was sleep, eat, sweat, yearn, and…well there was one thing that was not as tortuous but just as humiliating. His face grows hot as he recalls all his steamy encounters with a very unlikely partner. "Y-Your onisama must think so as well." The kid continues, "Since he did not come by this morning." _'Damn the kid for bringing him up…' _Before the first light of day, his body would wake him up to a flurry of overwhelming sensations. He would be thrown into full wakefulness with a heaving gasp for air and his skin would feel like it was on fire or as if someone was laying hot coals him. The incessant ache in the pit of his stomach combined with his painful arousal was always enough to immobilize him. All he could do was lay there and whine in discomfort. He never suffered for long because Sesshomaru would suddenly appear from the shadows, kick a sleeping Tatsuya out of the cave, and satiate his lusts for hours on end. It did not feel real. But it did not matter. All that mattered was that he was giving his body what it needed. Now that the lust filled cloud has lifted and he can think clearly, he is feeling confused, angry, and embarrassed. What the hell is wrong with his body? Why the heck is he still going through this without Khuzaimah's influence? He is only a half-demon, so none of this should be happening in the first place. And surely if he was a full demon, he would be an Alpha or at least a beta—not an omega. Heat or no heat, the idea of Sesshomaru touching him that way should make him sick. And it does! And it pisses him off that it happened at all. Even worse he barely made a move to stop him.

Suddenly the little cavern feels a little too warm and he knows it is due to his face currently burning several shades of crimson. _'What is with him anyway? He should feel just as grossed out so why…' _Surely, his out of character actions were not for his sake. _'There is no way that he cared about my suffering.' _That is an absolute impossibility. _'And he would never lower himself for a lowly hanyou.' _So then what could it be? It cannot be because he wanted to…that is simply crazy. _'The jerk can hardly stand the sight and smell of me! Ugh!' _Just thinking about it is giving him a headache. It is all so confusing. How is he supposed to face him now?

"I-Inuyasha-sama, are you r-ready to go, my lord?" Tatsuya has already snuffed the fire and gathered the remainder of their supplies. Apparently after "taking care of" his needs last night, Sesshomaru directed the slave-boy to be ready to set out by mid-morning. By the way the whelp is fidgeting from foot to foot, it is clear he has no intentions of finding out what happens if they try his patience by being late. _'Ugh…what do I do? What is he going to do? Do we just pretend that none of that happened?' _"Inuyasha-sama?"

"Yeah, yeah let's go." There is no use putting it off any longer. After securing tessaiga to his side and snatching one of the heavier bundles from him, he follows the child outside. The air is warm and just a bit too stuffy, but the sun's rays do feel nice on his tanned skin. He has most of his weight back now and the color is returning to his warm complexion. The only wounds marring his body now include some claw marks and bruises around his hips, thighs, and waist line but that…has nothing to do with Khuzaimah's actions. Although, physically he feels almost back to normal, he cannot decipher his mental or emotional state. Having to deal with his unpredictable half-sibling is in no way helping his anxiety. No amounts of stalling can slow their steady progression to the western edge of the forests. Much sooner than he would like, he spots his brother standing with his back towards them and staring off somewhere in the distance. Although he does not turn around to acknowledge them, the mere sight of him is enough to make Inuyasha feel even more uneasy.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru we are—"

"Tell me where your master could have gone."

"S-Sumimasen?" The directness of his commanding order combined with him still not sparing them any attention catches the boy off guard and his eyes grow with nervousness.

"Khuzaimah." The daiyoukai's voice turns icy in a way Inuyasha has come to associate with his patience being practically nonexistent. "Where is he?"

"I-I-I d-don't k-kn—"

"Do not test me."

They can all hear his gulp as his legs starts to shake and Inuyasha can feel a frown tugging at his lips. Yes, it is important to get to the bottom of this and the kid probably their best chance of doing so, but lord ass need not be so menacing about it. "But, but I-I really do n-not—"

"Then tell me all of the places he would likely flee to."

"Ano…uh…u-um—!" Whatever answer he is trying to come up with sticks in his throat when he suddenly turns around with a cold glare twisting his immaculate features. Predictably, the little ryu stumbles back to hide behind the nicer of the two brother's leg as Sesshomaru advances on them.

"I suggest you recall something quickly or face the consequences of outliving your usefulness."

"Sesshomaru!" The lord's dour stare flits away from the child to meet matching gold eyes. "You really think that's gonna' help the brat think?! He can hardly talk to you as is."

"I did not ask you anything."

"Feh, as if I care."

His eyes narrow into dangerous slits as Inuyasha crosses his arms and throws him an openly hostile glare. "It would do you well to start caring little brother. If you were not so soft on the 'brat' in the first place, you likely would not find yourself in this situation. So stop wasting my time and stay out of it."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" He looks completely unphased as the Inu hanyou shifts into a fighting stance. His grip on tessaiga is so tight his knuckles start to turn white. "Say that again! I dare yah', you bastard!"

"My lords!" Tatsuya, possibly sensing the danger this argument could bring if allowed to continue, finally pipes up. "I-I think I know of a p-place Khuzaimah-sama c-could be."

A tense and awkward silence follows this confession until Sesshomaru finally tears his eyes away from him and back to the trembling child. "Speak."

"T-There is a w-woman w-who has L-Lord Khuzaimah's f-favor. My lord v-visits her when he can." _'His favor? What kind of a woman would want or have that scum's favor?' _

"Where is she?"

"S-She has a home n-nestled deep in o-one of my lord's p-previous t-territories. It is p-perhaps a couple d-days' worth of travel."

"…Go then. Lead the way."

Tatsuya does not need to be told twice and he scurries on ahead, leaving the sons of Inutaisho alone for a few seconds. Sesshomaru locks gazes with him for just a beat and almost just as quickly turns to follow the ryu.

'_Che. What? Does he think I'm just gonna roll over and obey his commands like some stupid dog? Yah' got another thing coming idiot. Bonded or not, you ain't and will never be the boss of me. I don't know why I was so worried about facing him earlier. He is pretending like nothing happened and I am just fine doing the same. I have more important things to worry about anyway. Like where I am going to mount that dragon's head when I'm through with him. _

_Just you wait Khuzaimah.'_

**A/N: I know the end to this chapter is kind of abrupt, but I have been putting it off for way too long. I had some writer's block (obviously) with this chapter, but hopefully you still enjoyed reading it. As soon as I push through my writer's block, I will work on the next update. Your comments, recommendations, speculations, and criticisms really do help in that regard. It usually sparks my inspiration. Thank you for your honest feedback last chapter.**

**Stay safe out there. **


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